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simplyreveries · 5 months

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when theyre pining; vice dorm leaders!

trey clover

trey always had an eye on you ever since he met you, as the "magicless person from another world" he was pretty intrigued by you. he only grew closer to you from there. with his personality i feel like its easy to take his intentions more as a friend more than someone who's interested in you. and trey tries his best to get his feelings across that hes fallen quite literally hopeless for you. (will die if you ever hit him with the "oh youre like such a friend/brother to me!")

ace gets so offended when you get all the extras of his treats or that you're the first one to get some of his baked goods. he’ll complain that saying that “that's no fair- you're trey’s favorite!” and trey laughs but doesn’t deny it.

he tries to be as helpful and caring towards you, he does feel some remorse for your situation and all too. if you need help with anything pleaasee go to him because he loves being someone you can rely on.

ok so, trey can flirt... if hes not thinking about it. like if he puts himself into this mindset of "I'm totally going to woo you with these words" he is a fool. we all saw his painful attempts during the ghost marriage event. I'll never forget that he compared the brides' eyes to grapes.... needless to say, he totally messes up around you like that all the time. cater once happened to witness one of these instances and went through the five stages of grief.

ruggie bucchi

ruggie plays off any feelings he has towards you like he's not taking it seriously. he gives off pretty confusing signals during the beginning when he started to develop feelings for you. perhaps its just because of how overwhelmed he feels and doesn't know how to physically handle it. he cannot get you out of his brain no matter how much he tries.

he finds it hard to trust. when someone does something for him he always assumes it's because they're going to want something in return. so when you just help him sometimes when you catch him doing some random tasks for leona and try to help him hes... confused. and truthfully doesn't accept your help for a while, he'll brush it off. but he still remembers that.

judging by your situation and practically being thrown into this world without any of your own belongings, you're in a tight spot with money. sometimes when he does shifts at the mostro lounge and sees you there he starts to try sparking conversations with you. though it's probably him attempting to discreetly make fun of some customer that was being rude to you. ruggie feels all giddy and excited when he makes you laugh.

he gets all playful around you, you know he's around when you hear his mischievous laugh. sometimes he uses "laugh with me" to move you closer to him he'd say "i didnt know you were so excited to see me...!" and laugh. you can only roll your eyes.

jade leech

jade is... interesting when it comes to having feelings. because its pretty intense once you've caught his attention. he's also just so strange when it comes to showing that. as much as he desperately does want to call you his and all, he enjoys the stage where you're unaware of how he feels. he thinks it's like a game to win you over or something and he likes a little challenge.

jades love language is telling you that he saw a nice-looking mushroom during one of his hikes and it reminded him of you. okay seriously though, he'll love to share to you all about his little terrariums, he's quite proud of himself.

he loves it whenever you come by the mostro lounge, trust me he'll be there ready to serve you the moment you're there. he playfully tells you that you're his favorite customer. so, you get extra good meals done specially by jade, he'll ask you what you thought of it. one time he messed with you by telling you he used a random plant he found and wanted to know if it was edible... and was like "hehe...i kid, dont worry".. he thought your reaction was quite amusing.

not going to lie this guy literally just spawns like you could be in the library chatting with grim and turn around and he's there??? he smiles and is like "ah (name) how pleasant to see you here." :))) HUH??

jamil viper

jamil was in complete denial with his feelings for you, he hated himself almost because he feels like he is making the biggest mistake falling in love with someone from a completely different world. he has never felt so intensely about someone until you arrived. to push his feelings away for a while and just yearned for you from a distance.

nevertheless, you being you always try to talk and get closer to him, and he can't resist his feelings growing so much with each conversation (even if it's mostly one sided from your behalf). whenever he sees you at one of kalims parties and celebrations he almost freezes and can only stare at you... until kalim follows his line of vision and gets an excited grin, starting to laugh and its over for jamil. that guy is going to make so many painfully obvious attempts at getting the two of you together.

he gets pretty quiet around you, if you didn't know him well it may seem like he didn't like you but trust me that is absolutely not the case here. since he listens and remembers a lot of what you say, he tries to use that as an opportunity to attempt talking more to you. it's cute to see him try, even if its mundane things like cooking. but if you bring up hobbies, he enjoys like basketball club and dancing he'll become more talkative.

whenever you do small things like acknowledge him?? compliment him?? hes smitten and hates it so much. usually, these things don't really matter to him when he hears it from others but when it comes from you? its very important. you sound so genuine too about it. or even go out of your way to help him with anything since he has a lot on his plate as vice dorm leader.

rook hunt

once he's got his eye on you it's over because you're going to be constantly seeing him everywhere...! he is so incredibly infatuated with you and won't hesitate to tell you that. you've captivated him in every way- he finds your beauty to be irresistible, that he finds it a no-brainer that he's deeply harboring feelings for someone such as yourself.

rook is literally so weird when it comes to you im sorry. but its ROOK. he notices everything about you "is this a new perfume? ah its so lovely!! beauté!!" right after you just awkwardly said "good morning" to him when he was staring at you blissfully.

speaking of staring... wowie he cannot take his eyes off of you. he'll sigh dreamily like RIGHT next to you with his head in his hands thinking how truly captivating you are. and whenever you decide to talk to him, he literally listens to every word you say- but hey, at least no conversation with him is dry or boring with him because this man can talk forever about anything. he'll even tell you more about himself.

he tends to put you on this pedestal. literally, you can do nothing wrong in his eyes. rook will write you poems upon poems, gifting your beautiful things and tells you that they remind him of you, and he just simply had to give them to you.

lilia vanrouge

done here!

#pining is a bittersweet thing i always forget #i feel like the rough part is that ur FROM A DIFFERENT WORLDDD #twst #disney twst #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #twst headcanons #twst imagines #twst wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #trey x reader #ruggie x reader #jade x reader #jamil x reader #rook x reader

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doobea · 5 months

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DAYTIME SHOOTING STAR - REO MIKAGE

synopsis: Being a college student sucks. Having a crush on your best friend also sucks. Your best friend having a crush on your other best friend is . . . kinda the worst. In which, Reo is hopelessly in love with you but you’re hard crushing on Nagi.

-> MASTERLIST. -> PLAYLIST.

contents: second lead syndrome feat. fem!reader & reo, heavy narration in the beginning as per usual whoops, also in an au where bluelock never happened LOL, grandparental meeting, reo x stardew valley vibes, of course y/n and reo get together duh, nagi's been shipping them together since high school word count: 3.9K a/n: FINAL PART OUT YAY :3 thank you for joining me on this journey hehe this was also my first time attempt of writing reo so hopefully his characterization went ok ;-;

VEGA -> prev.

You get the feeling that Nagi is up to something, after a while.

Well, Nagi is always up to something — gaming and dozing off, to be exact. This time, though, all of his attention seems to be fixated on you.

“That’s not your sweater,” he says, pointedly, one day, when you waltz into their apartment with a handful of pastries. You decided to make a detour trip to a local bakery earlier in the morning, carefully curating the palettes of the two males because —well— after that happened you felt like a small offering would be needed in a way.

Like how many others delegate, the kiss was rather… confusing to all. Nagi doesn’t bring it up when you three all return back to festival grounds, nor does he bring it up to Reo when you finally go home. Reo’s been texting you like all things are normal, and you guess it’s because he doesn’t really know what to do either. Though, he’s been more endearing than usual over text, which you take as a sign that something is progressing.

Let’s just say that it’ll be weird for you to wake up without a ‘good morning, did you eat yet?’ text from a certain billionaire’s son.

Backstory aside, Nagi’s not lounging around for once. He’s leaning against the kitchen counter with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in his hands from a brand you’re not familiar with. Judging by its fine print font and pastel color scheme, you assumed that Nana stopped by not too long ago. And his gaze isn’t leaving your sweater. Whatever, you’re probably not wearing it correctly anyway. Stupid rich people problems.

“It’s Reo’s,” you say, lightly, and scoot by him to place down the baked goods. “He accidentally gave me his sweater when he returned my things, that’s all.”

It wasn’t an accident. Reo had made sure to spray that sweater with all the cologne he had. The sweater is warm, comfortable, and smells just like him. It’s nice.

Nagi gives you a look. It’s not a strong look, but it’s obvious enough to make your cheeks heat up. “Uh huh,” he deadpans before giving you a full up-down. “You’re wearing it, though.”

“Yeah, I am,” you shrug it off, trying to pretend that you don’t understand what the big deal was.

Okay, yeah, your best friend suddenly kisses you and now you’re rethinking about your life choices since high school because you were so sure that you liked his other friend. And the fact that you kissed back? Was that supposed to happen? And you didn’t wear this sweater today in hopes of Reo seeing you, nope that’s not it. Reo doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy because this sweater does all of that. It’s a comfort thing and Reo doesn’t bring you comfort… right?

You apparently have some cheesy expression written all over your face, though, and that causes Nagi to pinch your cheek to snap you back to reality. “Suits you,” Nagi decides to end the topic before shifting to the main subject. “Reo’s out this morning.”

“I wasn’t trying to see him,” you grumble out, eyes narrowing as you fix yourself a latte and adding way too many shots of espresso to fight off your internal turmoil. You add a large serving of caramel syrup to balance out the bitterness and then top it off with a heavy serving of whipped cream, sighing happily as you get a mouthful of the sugary concoction within the first sip.

Nagi simply shakes his head and drains the rest of his drink in one go. “Well, he’s been talking about you nonstop, if that makes—” Nagi stops in his tracks when he watches your ears perk up. “—you happy…”

At this point, Nagi probably thinks everyone is in on a poorly executed inside joke, except for him. He doesn’t like it, but what can he do? His two best friends are now awkwardly pinning each other and neither of them are sparing him any details. Then again, he’s not sure if he wants all the details. So, instead of poking a dead fish around, he exits to the living room and throws on a weekly series that he’s been meaning to catch up on. These past two months have been quite tiring.

You eventually join him on the couch, body now running on full blast of caffeine and loads of caramel. “Sei, tell me everything that he’s said, please?” and you throw out your best attempt at puppy eyes because you know that Nagi has always been horrible at saying no to these kinds of things.

But maybe getting a girlfriend has changed him, somewhat.

“You’ll hear it from him, eventually,” Nagi simply answers, smiling.

Of course, regardless of how many times you repeat yourself, Nagi would spit back the same response. Since when did he start caring for Reo’s secrecy all of a sudden? Pretty lame. You zone out when an action sequence comes on the screen and begin texting Reo.

‘where are you’ You text over a character monologue in the background.

‘At some stores, picking up last minute gifts for later.’ Reo replies back with a series of emojis.

By ‘stores’, you would only guess it’s nothing but high-end designer stuff. ‘Gifts’ implying that he’s buying multiple for your family and relatives. ‘Later’ is when the two of you will depart on visiting your hometown for the weekend because it turns out Reo was actually serious about taking up your off-handed comment.

‘i told you not to get anything!!’ You send an angry emoji right after.

Nagi is absolutely reading over your shoulder, too, and if looks could kill, you’re pretty sure you’d be in a million pieces, burning to bits on the floor. “Got a hot date with Reo, huh?”

“Well, you didn’t want to come and we’re not dating…” you huff before pushing him away. “And stop reading my texts!”

“Don’t text while I’m watching my show, it’s distracting.” Nagi shoots back, and you don’t really have an argument for that.

Though, you just glare at him until he eventually backs off and you go back to texting Reo, a bit more subtly, talking about various expensive gifts that he can get instead of showing up to your family doorsteps with diamonds and silk robes. You haven’t had anyone from the city come visit your hometown, so you’re a little nervous to say the least. Especially since someone accompanying you is several tax brackets ahead…though Reo wouldn’t judge you differently. Because he likes you, in more ways than one. Fuck.

You’re ignoring a lot of things happening right now, and bringing him over to meet your family is making you feel weird. Ugh, whatever.

In the end, Reo ends up returning half of his purchases because apparently designer bags and jewelry won't serve your grandparents that well in their everyday lives. So he opts to buy them expensive fruits instead. Fruits are already expensive in the country, so when Reo showed up with boxed grapes that costed more than your current outfit, you could've sworn your eyes were about to pop out of your sockets.

Reo should’ve known better than to wear anything remotely formal when he agreed to come visit your hometown. Tailored suits are expensive and difficult to replace and, from what he’s experienced within the past hour, the mud that’s been splattered all over his dress shoes and pants haven’t gone away no matter how much cleaning reagent he’s used so far. But complaints are off the table, no matter how much he absolutely wants to point out the sweltering heat and the lack of air conditioning in your home.

The plane ride over wasn’t any better. You blatantly refused to use his credit card for first-class seating upgrades regardless how many times he’d begged you.

“It’ll only be a two hour flight, Reo. Plus, economy isn’t that bad.” You reasoned.

Oh, but it was.

He’s a gentleman and gentlemen should always let others pick which seat they want first. Window seat was a non negotiable for you, and he didn’t really mind. What he did mind was the random stranger seated to his right.

Screen brightness — max.

Volume settings — max.

Chewing noises — sadly, also max.

It’s a miracle that he didn’t flag down an attendant and leave you for first class. Well, flight aside, landing happens and, inevitably, comes the next part.

“Are you enjoying your stay so far?”

Your grandmother comes into view, coming to Reo’s rescue with a sunhat and a bottle of water, and the basket next to her was already filled to the brim with all types of vegetable assortments from the garden. Reo graciously takes the hat and sips of the water before glancing down at his own basket, which is very much barren. He thought offering to help with harvesting will win him some brownie points, but he should’ve known how dirty it would get.

“It’s definitely different from what I’m used to, but it’s nice here.” He’s honest about the last part.

The city doesn’t offer much in terms of parks and recreational activities and, despite the fact he’s pretty sure his button up is practically attached to his skin and that there’s probably a centipede (or two) crawling in his shoes, the whole nature thing is pretty serene. Your parents’ old home is a cozy cottage right off the side of the country road, surrounded by rice paddy fields with a wide range of mountains in the backdrop. Occasionally, Reo would see truck drivers making pit stops out in the front to either pick up a small shipment or make small talk with your grandfather — it’s completely foreign to him given that he’s so used to the stuffy business world. Seeing all of this makes Reo understand why some would enjoy a life of simple living and solitude.

Your grandmother laughs. “We were afraid that you wouldn’t like it here.”

To this, Reo digs his hands back into the soil and pulls out a set of carrots in hands. “Sorry, did I give off that impression?” Says the boy who’s currently dressed head to toe in formal wear. Idiot.

“Our granddaughter has been…” she trails off for a moment, finger pursed to her lips and head tilted, before finishing. “She’s been blowing up the family group chat about this trip for a while now. Safe to say she’s been worried.”

Oh. That’s news.

Reo wipes off the puddle of sweat from his face and straightens his back. “It’s beautiful and peaceful here, you wouldn’t be able to get this back in the city. Everyone’s been really nice and the food,” he points down to the field. “You wouldn’t be able to get these without them costing an arm and a leg for the sake of being ‘organic’.”

“Sounds like you want to move here.”

And for the sake of earning those brownie points, “Yeah, I can see myself doing that one day.”

“Imagine that. Can’t stay away from our granddaughter, right?” she teases, and it causes him to do a double take.

“W-What?”

She ignores Reo’s stammering and hands him a pair of gloves and a metal bucket. “Once you finish picking the rest, come meet me by the farmhouse, the cows need some attention.”

Reo might have to rethink his career path after this trip.

“Can you tell your cousins to knock it off, please?” Your best friend is grumbling and hiding behind you for all things safety related.

One thing you forgot to mention, outside of the laborious work, is that your little cousins are an absolute menace to outsiders. The youngest one has been non stop terrorizing Reo around the house with a live grasshopper while the older one keeps throwing him glares and middle fingers. This has been going on right after dinner and Reo’s getting really sick of them and their chattering about how they hate seeing you with someone that needs ‘pampering’.

You huff and roll your eyes playfully. “You think I haven’t tried shutting them up?”

“Good point,” Reo groans from behind. He’s gripping your shoulders as if he’s on life support, shaking every time the youngest one raises the grasshopper closer. “Can’t you just give them an iPad or anything?”

“And what? So they can turn into those kids who stare at a screen all day? No thank you.” You tease, but you give your cousins a final stern look before getting to their eye level.

Reo watches, silent but amused, as you pluck the insect out of the boy’s grasp and pinch his cheek with a light tug, not enough to shed tears but enough to cause him to yelp. You motion the older one over, who just grumbles under his breath but obeys anyway.

“Big sis, we swear we’re just playing together—” the older one starts, and you simply respond with a hard head shake.

“That’s not how we treat guests in our home. Last time I checked, you guys didn’t like it when I made you clean out the pig pen for fun,” you retort with a casual grin. “Time to head back to auntie’s place anyway, it’s way past your bedtimes.”

Both of them sigh in defeat, but that doesn’t stop them from throwing up a pair of middle fingers at Reo. Hey, down with the rich — they’re on the right track in life. And you know deep down they’re just looking out for you ever since your experience in high school, even if the hatred towards city folks is on the extreme side.

You’re stifling a laugh as the pair leave the house. Reo loosens his grip on your shoulders when they are out of ear shot and nudges your sides because you still have that damn grasshopper in your hands.

“Puke or cry in my house and I’m making you sleep with the cows tonight.” The threat is spoken casually, with a bit of affection to it, but Reo knows damn well it’s a valid threat.

“I’m not going to puke or cry,” he replies, haughtily. “And, for the record, I helped the cows earlier today so I’m practically their mother.”

“Oh yeah, thanks for that, you didn’t have to.” You gently toss the grasshopper out the kitchen window, making sure it landed on a patch of soft grass. “Grandma was constantly raving about you after you finished. Saying something about planning the next weekend trip together.”

“Yeah, might as well help around, you know?” Reo weakly chuckles and briefly looks down at his hands. What he doesn’t add is that his hands are going to be sore for the next few days and that maybe your grandparents think he’s going to move in with them in the future. Something of that sort.

“It’s not the worst idea,” You grin. The sun is down, and the stars in the sky are starting to poke through. You catch Reo trying to get a good look before an idea pops up. “My room has a pretty good view of everything, if you want to head up?” You would offer to lay outside but, considering that the ecosystem here offers much bigger bugs, you decided against it.

Unsurprisingly, Reo takes up on the suggestion.

Your old bedroom is sparsely furnished, and that’s intentional. Most of your personal belongings are currently at your college apartment. All that’s left is a full sized bed, an old boxy television with an equally old boxy stand, a couple of bookshelves stuffed full of children's books, and one of those large colorful beanbags by the window sill.

It’s a nice bedroom, for all things considered. A lot more vibrant and has more character than Reo’s old bedroom growing up. From what he’s shown you before, his bedroom was almost a black and white minimalist’s wet dream.

“It’s a bit dusty, hope you don’t mind.”

Your bedroom window has a nice view of the mountain side, and Reo’s quickly distracted by the swarm of fireflies and night stars as he quickly shoves his suitcase into the corner and settles on your bed without a second thought.

“I like it,” He replies, in a careful, casual voice. And maybe it’s just your imagination, but you swear, your best friend sounds both anxious and excited, and maybe there’s a hint of nerves in there, too. Whatever it is, your stomach is back to doing those weird flips.

You try to think. You’re aware of several things right now. First, your best friend is making himself very comfortable in your bed. Second, he’s giving you a look, one that just screams some sort of smug superiority. Third, despite it being humid and warm in your room, you really just want to bury your face into his shoulder. Maybe you should climb in with him, look at the stars together, curled up and snuggling, maybe even run your fingers through his hair, and—

“So,” Reo interrupts and snaps you out of your strange reverie. “You’re sleeping on the floor, right?”

“Huh?” your voice is bleary, and your thoughts are kinda far off. Reo shuffles his way under your sheets and suddenly you put two and two together. “I saved you from those little demons and this is the thanks I get?”

“I deserve it since I worked,” Reo sighs, dramatically, when you finally find the courage to sit down on the ends of the mattress. “Or did you want to share it together?” Tease oozes into his tone.

That last bit makes your heart skip a couple of beats. Alcohol wasn’t in the dinner mix and, even if it was, Reo would never be this bold in front of you. Perhaps there’s something floating in the summer air.

“Stop pretending that you live here,” but you eventually settle yourself underneath the blankets too, just on the other side to put some good inches in between.

Reo’s smiling, and that’s all that matters. It doesn’t bother you when he manages to hog all the blankets and the limited amount of pillows. He’s a gentleman, but also has his needy side that he’s not afraid of showing. Not to mention that he looks good in the dim lighting, even though he’s only been wearing one of your grandpa’s old t-shirts after working in the field. It finally makes the strange fluttering in your stomach calm into a steady, present warmth, and that’s maybe more problematic, but you don’t give it any real thought.

Reo speaks up after a few passing heartbeats. “Can I… say something?”

You swallow thickly. “Go for it.”

It can’t be just your imagination, the way Reo’s mouth parts, just a little, the way his tongue is dating out to wet his lips. You’re leaning forward, hand reaching down between. You can’t stop looking at him.

“I want…” Reo tries to say, but his throat is a giant lump.

“Reo,” You breathe out in response, head tipping, “If you keep looking at me like that, then…”

It comes in swift moments, with Reo pressed close, with both of your hips bumping together, with arms slung over the other’s shoulder. There’s been those moments of laughter, where it feels as if the whole world has faded away in a blur beyond the gaze of your best friend. It’s cliche and dumb, but you feel, in a way, that you’ve been looking at Reo for your life. And you have, really, because he’s always been there for you.

There’s a lot of things that Reo could say. They’re burning on his tongue, building in his throat, getting stuck there. He should just push them out, just say it. Or, maybe, he should say nothing at all, because that wonder and those answers are all reflected in your gaze.

Both of you are so close that he can make out every strand of your lashes. He can see the subtle shift of color in your eyes, the dark band increasing around your pupils, that slight nervous glimmer there. It’s got Reo’s heart pounding in his chest, hammering to be freed. He’s got one hand pressed into the small of your back, stroking there, slow and affectionate. His other hand is trembling, just a little, and he steadies himself bracing it against your cheek.

It’s got you shivering, and Reo realizes that you’re both a bit terrified.

“I want to be yours,” Reo might be nervous as hell, but he steels his voice, and brushes your lips together, he’s so close, when he talks. “I can’t think about anything else when I’m with you. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but—”

“Reo,” you take the initiative here, shifting closer, and settling your lips close to his neck. “It’s okay. I want you too.”

You take another inch forward and Reo allows it. Maybe you’re both getting more comfortable with each other. Maybe getting brave and feeling more grown up. Likely, it’s a combination of everything, and a good dose of ‘fuck it’s, from being young, and dumb, despite it all.

You’re not sure who leans in first but, before it even fully registers, his lips glide over yours. There’s some awkward teeth clacking involved, probably from the fact both of you are way too full of nerves over this, but Reo fixes it and begins to trace his tongue over the small opening of your lips. You move your hands straight to his locks, still damp from the earlier shower he took and the scent of lemongrass and citrus invades your nostrils.

Reo's kissing you as if he wants to swallow you whole. It's hungry, desperate, and intimate in a way that made your heart swell triple in size. The sounds of your beating chest floods your ears as he's pouring his emotions into the kiss, making sure that he's leaving behind evidence that his soul is yours to claim. The heat radiating off his body pulls you in, like an invitation, and you sink further into his touch.

After a moment, you pull back, hands still entangled in his hair.

“Your parents, aren’t you worried about—”

“I don’t pay mind to that type of stuff,” he presses a firm kiss on your forehead. “And you shouldn't have to either. That’s a future thing to worry about.”

That sounds good, you agree, but you’re growing too sleepy to voice it. Instead, you shut your eyes, reaching over blindly to find the edges of the blankets, tugging it up over you two. There’s really no way to move, without cramming at the edge of the mattress. You don’t care, and Reo doesn’t seem to, either.

“Hey, Reo?” You mumble as you both slip into silence.

“Yeah?” He’s tried, but awake enough to shake past the exhaustion, enough to form vague words. “What is it?”

You sit up, just a little, and it’s enough to inspire Reo to force his eyes open. You’re watching him, eyes intent, shining bright with emotion. It’s almost — just almost — enough to have Reo saying those three special little words. They’re right there, on the tip of his tongue, and only then he realizes that he’s terribly in love with you. He’s hopelessly in love. It’s way too early to say it, but he is.

You laugh, burying your face in Reo’s neck again, pressing a kiss there. “I’m glad that you’re here with me.”

Reo has hesitated a lot, during the past months. It’s taken him a while to get here. For once, though, awake or dreaming, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t hesitate.

“I’m glad too,” he mumbles, and then, he’s dreaming, of endless what if’s and possibilities with you now in his life.

additional note: idk why it took me over a month to pump this out LMAO but i hope you guys like the ending bc i was mulling over this chapter so many times before deciding to end it as such... anyways, I WILL BE BACK INTO MY BLLK FIC GROOVE HEHE gotta focus on my milestone fics + that ice skating rin series next :3 i love you guys and thanks again for being patient with me ;3

TAGLIST -CLOSED

@celestair @kitorin @popponn @yoisami @anurst @katsukiiishoe @yuzurins @vitaniangel-blog @kunikame @miwafei @astruoise @faeroow @wooasecret @limerence-lu @jaynawayna @iloveblogging2 @futuristicxie @rinlvr @au-ghosttype @wavetokio @yuusami @phtogravi @funnibunneh @idontevenknow129 @startaee @darthvada @livelaughloveisagiyoichi

#blue lock #bllk #blue lock imagines #blue lock x reader #bllk x reader #doobea writing #reo mikage x reader #reo mikage #DAYTIME SHOOTING STAR - REO MIKAGE #bllk reo #reo x reader #mikage reo x reader #blue lock x you #blue lock x female reader #BYE THIS IS THE FINALE WHOO #why did this take me forever idk #what started out as a mini thing turned into long words uh oh #time to refocus on that rin ice skating thing...

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rollinouttahere-writes · 10 months

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@kazenomegaminowanpisu I'm sorry this took so long, but I hope you like it! Thank you so much for this request. As someone who loves Sanji and is also very passionate about cooking/baking, this was suuuuper self indulgent and I loved writing it!

Sweet Tastes and Gentle Touches

Sanji x Fem!Reader

2.3k words

The sweet embrace of a good night’s rest is something that often evaded Sanji for one reason or another. Whether it be nightmares or the simple fact that sleeping in the same room as a bunch of other men was hardly peaceful, he knew he didn’t get anywhere near enough sleep to be healthy.

Zeff and the other cooks on the Baratie got on his ass regularly when he was caught having late night smoke breaks when he should have been sleeping. Here though, he usually didn’t have to worry about being lectured by anyone. Everyone else was either sleeping or was also up when they shouldn’t be so they had no room to judge.

Currently, he was having another one of those sleepless nights. It was too early to be getting a head start on breakfast, so his only plan for the time being was to smoke outside until it was closer to that time.

At least that was the plan, but then he saw light coming from the kitchen. His teeth ground together in frustration. That damned bottomless pit of a captain is at it again! He could’ve sworn Luffy was still asleep when he left the room, when did he get into the kitchen?! He stuffed his pack of cigarettes back into his pocket and stormed into the invaded kitchen to save the crew from Luffy inhaling a week’s worth of food in two minutes.

He busts open the door, “How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of here outside of mealtimes?!” Sanji’s voice became louder with each word, punctuated by the door slamming into the wall from the force that he kicked it with.

What he had expected to see was Luffy attempting to break the locks on the fridge and pantry.

What he actually saw was his dear, sweet, beloved (y/n) looking back at him with a startled expression. One of the cabinets was open and you were in the middle of pulling down the kettle.

Sanji’s heart stopped and horror from his actions clawed at his throat. He had just yelled at the love of his life like an actual monster.

You appeared to be as confused as you were surprised and began putting the kettle back where it came from, “I-I’m sorry, I guess I must have forgotten.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no! I didn’t mean that! I mean- I did but I thought you were Luffy! NOT that I think you look like him, you don’t, but he’s usually the one sneaking into the kitchen at night!” Sanji all but ran at you and snatched the kettle from your hands as he spoke a mile a minute. “Sit down! I’ll make some tea for you! Just relax!”

Sanji wanted to throw himself overboard for his transgression against you, and the only thing keeping him from doing so was the stronger urge to pamper you after having the audacity to raise his voice like that.

The situation seemed to have clicked in your mind, and like the angel you were, you simply giggled at the misunderstanding. In his humble opinion, he felt like he deserved to be punted into the sea and screamed at, but you just laughed it off.

He didn’t deserve you. Which is why he’s kept his feelings close to the chest. As close to his chest as someone like him could, at least. Naturally, he was powerless to the need to fawn over you as much as every other lady that crossed paths with him, but he did nothing to let you know that it was more than the kind of fawning everyone else received.

“You don’t need to do all that, Sanji, I can do it,” your hand rested on his shoulder, making his breath catch in his throat. You smiled warmly at him, “Did I wake you up? I’m awfully sorry if I did, I thought I was being quiet.”

“No! I was already awake, you didn’t do anything wrong,” you could never do anything wrong in his book. Using the hand not holding the kettle, he placed it on the small of your back and guided you to the table, “Please allow me do this for you, I insist.”

Much to his delight, you did take a seat. You positioned the chair so that you could watch him as he zipped around the kitchen to gather everything he needed to make your tea. There was no need to ask what you wanted, he already had it memorized.

Glancing over his shoulder, he caught you staring at him in what he believed to be amusement. You made eye contact briefly before he snapped back to what he was doing with his face feeling hot. He cleared his throat, “What are you doing awake at this hour, (y/n)-chan? Is there something bothering you?”

“Oh no, nothing’s wrong, I just woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. Usually I do some late night baking when this happens, but since everything else was locked up I settled for tea,” you explained casually, chin resting on your fist.

Sanji froze and a giddy feeling bubbled up from within him. Who was he to pass up the golden opportunity that he was currently being presented with. After doing what he could to school his expression so he didn’t look completely desperate, he turned to face you, “Do you still want to bake something? I would love to join you if you’d be so gracious.”

“Are you sure? Don’t you want to at least try to get some sleep before breakfast?”

Ever the sweetheart, you were kind enough to be concerned for his well being. Everything was fine though, just being able to spend time with you would energize him more than a full night's rest. Sanji grinned, “Of course I’m sure, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing right now.” He fully meant that.

“Alright, who am I to deny the help of such a talented cook?” You stood up from the chair and breezed past him to wash your hands at the kitchen sink.

Sanji is pretty sure his heart just burst from the compliment, that was the only explanation for how hot his chest felt. It’s not like what you were doing here was anything new, you two work together in the kitchen all the time.

The first time you’d offered your help, he’d assumed it was just to be polite and nothing more. He tried to tell you that you didn’t need to put yourself out like that, but when you insisted that you actually really enjoyed cooking he caved.

He tried to tell himself that the butterflies in his stomach were nothing unusual. This was just because he was happy to be around someone else who had a passion for culinary arts again. That was it. Definitely.

Oh, who was he kidding? Sanji was head over heels for you by the end of your first cooking session together. How could he not be? You two worked so well together, it was like he’d found his other half. His soulmate, if such a thing existed.

Not that he was doing anything about it. He felt like you deserved better than him, and he wasn’t going to give you a chance to make that decision for yourself.

Sanji was torn from his thoughts by your hand waving in front of his face. He reeled back in surprise and you giggled, “Are you sure you aren’t too tired?” Shit, had you been calling his name and he hadn’t heard you?

“Positive!” His voice cracked, and he wanted to throw himself out the window because of it. Mercifully, you didn’t comment on the embarrassment and only quirked a brow at him. Sanji cleared his throat, “I’m wide awake, I promise. What did you want to bake?”

“We bought some strawberries at the island yesterday, right? Could we make a strawberry shortcake?” You looked at him hopefully, waiting for his answer.

“Of course, anything for you, (y/n)-chan!” Sanji slipped around you and fished the keys for the fridge and pantry out of his pocket. Behind him, he could hear you digging out the required utensils for the cake.

Not even that marimo could wipe the smile off Sanji’s face right now, he’s sure of it. He couldn’t help but notice that both of you were still clad in your sleepwear. His consisted of sweatpants and a tank top. You were wearing a beautiful nightgown in your favorite color with a silk robe over it, both of which were gifted to you by himself. He knew it would flatter your form and was thanking the gods for being able to bear witness to this sight to confirm it.

His imagination was running wild from this imagery, though. It’s almost like you’re married and this is a late night baking session in your own private home.

Sanji violently shook his head. This train of thought was going places that it absolutely shouldn’t be!

The necessary ingredients were placed on the counter and he risked a glance in your direction. You were currently pulling on an apron over your head and tying it behind your back with a practiced ease.

Considering how flustered he was from his earlier thoughts, he kept his words to you concise and to the point. He didn’t trust himself not to say something stupid if he started rambling, so once you two decided who was doing what, you fell into a comfortable silence.

Sanji had taken it upon himself to beat the egg whites and sugar into a meringue while you mixed together the rest of the wet ingredients. Quiet humming fills the kitchen, an endearing trait of yours that he felt blessed to have become so familiar with. Tonight’s tune was a melody he didn’t recognize. Whether it was a song from your past or something you made up on the spot was beyond him, but he didn’t care, he simply enjoyed it.

After finishing the meringue, he divided it up. Half into your mixture, while the other half remained in his bowl to be combined with the dry ingredients and oil. Sanji let you take care of bringing the batter together while he prepped the cake pan.

The cake was in the oven not long after that, leaving the two of you to prep the whipped cream frosting and strawberries while you wait. In the time it took Sanji to whip the frosting into shape, you had finished cutting the strawberries that go in between layers. You eyed the remaining ones, debating what to do with them.

“Do you know how to cut them into roses?” Sanji crept behind you, eagerly awaiting your answer.

“Nope, can’t say I do.” You looked at him over your shoulder with a smile, “I don’t suppose you’d want to show me, would you?”

Ah, so you knew where he was going with that. If he had a bit more shame, he’d be embarrassed at how predictable he was. Luckily for him in this moment, he didn’t. He swallowed an imaginary lump in his throat and went for it.

“I would love to,” he answered quickly. Closing the already small gap between you, he was pressed up against your back. His arms went around you, with his hands resting over your own to guide you.

This was a bold move, he’d admit it (to himself only), but it was worth the risk. It wasn’t every day that he got to be so close to you, so he was taking in and treasuring every aspect of it. From being able to feel your softness first hand to his senses being flooded with the smell of your shampoo, all of it was intoxicating. If not a little nose-bleed inducing, but that was neither here nor there.

Oh wait, the strawberries.

He positioned your hand to lightly cut at the sides of the fruit, “It’s simple, really, I know you’ll pick it up quickly. All you do is make a thin slice and gently peel it back. Then you rotate and repeat this until you’ve run out of room and go up.” Sanji kept guiding your hand for the entire strawberry, even though he knew you were skilled enough to have picked it up after the first or second example.

Fortunately, you indulged him and patiently waited for his hands to retreat on their own before trying it for yourself. As expected, the next one came out perfectly. You admired your handiwork before holding it up to Sanji, “What do you think, did I do this right?”

You really didn’t need to ask. It was clear for anyone to see that you had nailed it, and he was sure that you knew that. Yet you’d asked for his opinion anyways. He was going to wax poetic about how this was the most expertly crafted strawberry rose he’d ever seen, but was distracted when he picked up on how hard you were staring at him. Suddenly feeling self conscious, he asked you what was wrong.

Rather than answer, you reach out to him with your empty hand and use your thumb to wipe some frosting off his chin. Then, nonchalantly, you brought the same thumb to your mouth to sample the errant bit of frosting. You hummed and nodded, “This frosting is great, though it looks like you may have been stirring a little too vigorously over there.” You lightly elbowed his side as you teased him.

Sanji hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, blood gushing out of his nose like a faucet on full blast. You were going to be the death of him, and he meant that in the best way possible.

If he died by your sweet touch, then he would go out a happy man.

#one piece #one piece x reader #one piece x y/n #one piece x you #sanji #black leg sanji #kazenomegaminowanpisu #this is borderline a self insert if i'm being honest but i hope everyone else can enjoy it too lmao

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ashesandhackles · 1 year

Text

Fic recs

Other Women and of Purer Blood by @saintsenara

Summary: Narcissa is adrift, rattling around Malfoy Manor, when an equally lonely man comes into her lonely life.

Thoughts: I have been wanting a story that contextualises the sexual charge and familiarity we see between Snape and Narcissa in Spinner's End for ages (canon compliant, that is) and this story is a lovely backstory to that. It also captures Snape in transition: Snape still ironing out his northern accent, how his movements are still spider-like. He is in the process of becoming the adult Snape we see in canon: whose speeches are a performance, and how he irons out the awkwardness of his movements in adulthood.

Excerpt:

Snape looks completely wrong in the flowery bower where Dobby has set out tea. His sallow awkwardness seems to repel the summer, even though Narcissa suspects he must be baking in his layers of shabby black robes.

He doesn’t have the fine manners of the sort of person who normally comes to tea with the Malfoys. He eats quickly, and slurps his tea, and looks at the cakes with the greedy eyes of a boy who isn’t used to treats. Lucius would be disgusted, to have a greasy half-blood at his table spraying crumbs everywhere. She imagines the expression of horrified confusion on his pointy face and giggles.

Snape immediately goes scarlet and puts down his tea-cup.

In Infinite Remorse of Soul by @perverse-idyll

Summary: Albus Dumbledore never makes the same mistake twice. Certainly not in love.

Thoughts: My very first Snumbledore, which is a frightening meditation on the very vast power dynamics between Snape and Dumbledore from the hilltop scene in Deathly Hallows and expanding the very personal reaction Dumbledore had towards the wayward young Death Eater. Perverse Idyll is among the best writers in the fandom, brimming with words and fantastic imagery that just stays with you.

Excerpt:

"My boy," Albus says almost kindly, because kindness is something that mystifies his young servant. Severus' eyes dart upwards, apprehensive, accusing, and Albus can see the darkness inside the boy clawing to reach him. Guilt calling to guilt.

The moment quivers and thins until he judges that Severus has had enough and is about to rebel. A harsh rasp draws his attention. He looks down at the bruised, blackened fingernail scraping across stone.

"My boy," he sighs. "You never fail to disgust me."

The ritual word strikes Severus down. His obstinate body shrinks, wings of hair flapping forward to shut his scowling face from view.

To Build A Home by @mblematic

Summary: 1978-1981: Sirius stumbles on something in the woods, Sirius and Remus stumble into each other, everyone stumbles into the war.

Thoughts: First War hijinks, dysfunctional Wolfstar - I was fed! I cannot rave enough about the gorgeous, subtle writing of relationships (the author really captures this raw, visceral vulnerability between two friends who are attracted to each other and how it explodes in heightened tension of war) and there is some fantastic world building and mirroring. Excerpt: Later, Sirius would remember almost everything from this night with crystal clarity except the sky, which in reality was clouded but in his memory would be open, star-studded, expansive and unknowable as the future. He’d remember, correctly, that the wolf was different than it had been at Hogwarts. He’d remember the restless, brutal, snarling fury, all of it undercut with a fear so intense it had its own meaty weight. The night took Sirius by surprise and he spent the whole long stretch of it trying to put himself back on track, trying to reacquaint himself with the wolf, and trying to convince them both that they remembered each other. At one point he found himself literally between Remus’ jaws, helpless and pliant, mewling like a supplicant. This, too, he would remember for the rest of his life.

Second Life by Cassandra, nwhiker Summary: What happens when two men are given a second chance.

Thoughts: I finally got around to reading one of the most recommended Snirius fics out there. Beautiful, understated, deeply emotional - the authors take you on a journey with the two of them post war. It also feels....old?? As in, the kind of perspective this fic has is the perspective of someone in late 30s (which both Snape and Sirius are in this fic, post war). There is a fragile, "who else will understand what our generation went through?" running through the vein of this fic.

Excerpt:

It was like walking into a tiny garden in the tropics, and he was reminded of some of the places he'd visited while on the run after his escape from Azkaban. There were hundreds of plants, most of them unfamiliar, and a large table was filled with orchids. There was a tree, which turned out to be a frangipani, its white flowers soft and sweet. A delicate white flower with an exquisite fragrance that Snape said was bouvardia. Along one wall were plants Sirius recognised from Potions classes, wolfsbane and asphodel, wormwood and sopohorous, a shrivelfig tree, and others he'd seen but didn't know the names of.

"I'm not supposed to have them," Snape said.

Sirius turned to him. Snape was staring down an orchid, brushing planting mix from the edge of its pot.

Al Aaraaf by eldritcher

Summary: There is a place between heaven and hell.

Thoughts: An unsettling, poetic horror fic featuring a grieving Walburga Black. The whole fic is structured like a poem, with rhythm and repetition and metaphor shining through.

Excerpt:

He had her face. He had her scowl. He had her loathsome, loathing heart that mourned and loved. Hell dwelled in him, as a warm and heartful thing calved of mother.

The last of earth's make she held was son. His hands were placed in prayerful clasp over her belly.

The lamb in her was of Tartary, born of son fed and killed with milk and honey, birthed of widow's mourning.

"It is all right," Sirius said, and held her to him as if she weren't damned.

Runaway Boys by Delphi

Summary: Severus dreams of pirates, and Lily closes the nursery window. Thoughts: I'm not sure if I have recommended this fic before, but I am recommending it again, just in case. This is a wonderfully strange coming of age, a tale of puberty told in dreams/ fantasies featuring Snape and Captain Hook. Excerpt:

"Severus S—" He cuts himself off and then tentatively amends: "Prince. Severus Prince."

It's a better name, he's decided. His new friends at school know the Princes, but they've never heard of any Snapes.

"That is a fine name, Mr. Prince," the man says. "As for me, I am Captain James Hook."

A large hand extends into the branches, and after a moment, Severus carefully leans down and shakes it.

"Pleased to meet you," Severus says.

"Are those friends of yours?" the captain asks, nodding towards the neighbouring island, where the boys are now riding wild ponies bareback, jousting with each other using lances made of hollow reeds.

Severus shrugs. Of course, he thinks, the man would rather know them.

Note: Please check the pairings and tags in each of these fics and keep in mind your own triggers :)

#hp fic recs #hp fics #since i am in my reading phase #largely snape-centric recs #but some other content also sneaks through #severus snape #narcissa malfoy #snarcissa #snumbledore #snirius #sirius black #remus lupin #wolfstar #walburga black #alastor moody

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loosingmoreletters · 9 months

Note

Oh, I follow that enchanted tulle author on AO3 and so far she/he only writes very few stories, but boy, does she/he love politics so much.

I always find authors who write heavy stuff are awesome because it's a difficult topic to write. I mostly read fluff stories because I think my boys Wangxian need some fluffy moments after the whole chaos in their lives.

Do you like fluffy stories even though LWJ isn't mean there? I can recommend some, but well, they are very fluffy, all happy, no angst 😁

I do read fluff! Also I'm a sucker for happy endings. Very rarely do I enjoy a fic with a bad end - I need that catharsis of everything being resolved. I don't actually read much dark fic in this fandom because my flavor of dark fic isn't particularly catered to.

Not ranked in any way, and absolutely not all my favorites, just those I tagged good enough in my 10k bookmarks to find, but some of my favorite fics are there! (Most are finished, those that aren't can be safely said to have been among my favorites from the first paragraph on.)

愈; to heal by ravenditefairylights

Wei Wuxian has missed the sword. He has missed the steady weight of Suibian in his vicinity, has missed being sure of himself without needing to defend his ability in front of a world that stands opposite of him as jury, judge and executioner. Wei Wuxian has risen and fallen and then gotten up every time, fallen deeper still until there was no way for him to get back up. Wei Wuxian has died and he has come back thirteen years too late and the world has moved on without him. Back to the start—it’s a good place for the beginning. or the one where Wei Wuxian heals, realizes there are people who love him and people he loves and goes back home

I'll buy you the moon (I'll buy you two) by Thesaurus_with_no_words

It's been three days since Wei Wuxian last ate. "Hungry," A-Yuan whines, pulling at his hand. Wei Wuxian tries to focus on the vegetable display in front of him. He's got 10 credits left on the last safe account he's got access to. Half a kilo of wilted vegetables, the cheapest thing in the store, costs 15. The potatoes are sprouted. Half of Wei Wuxian's sluggish mind wonders if that means he can bargain down the prize, while the other half is screaming that something is very wrong. They have been planet-side for around 36 hours and so far nothing adds up. Blinking slowly, Wei Wuxian stares at the potatoes. The green sprouts seem to taunt him. Suddenly he remembers that Shanxu, the planet they are supposed to be on, has a current ban on potatoes, due to some aggressive and rapidly mutating form of crop blight. "Fuck," Wei Wuxian hisses. Where the are they? What planet is this!?

Welcome to the Great Gusu Bake Off! by BlackWiresOnHerHead

Several months ago, college student Wei Wuxian secretly competed in the most popular reality show in the country. The show starts airing in the fall. The freshmen in his dorm collectively lose their minds.

A Thousand Things by tickertape

Wei Ying can’t find his words. “What would I do in Gusu?” The man’s mouth quirks in what Wei Ying cannot interpret as anything but a tiny, smug smirk. “Learn.” Wei Ying has made a fine life for himself. He’s got his jiejies and his talismans; he doesn’t need anyone’s charity. But spending a whole year in Gusu? That’s hard to turn down.

The Best I Can by Zephyr (ZephyrAndTheSilverfish)

‘Have you heard? Hanguang-jun cut ties with the Lan Sect. Stole a child and ran off into the night.’ In which Wei Wuxian is horribly confused by the world he comes back to and can’t help but be drawn to Lan Wangji once more. Lan Jingyi, for his part, is deeply disappointed by the world he grew up in and just wants to see his best friend again.

Hear a song this deeply by so_shhy

Lan Zhan’s new liaison at the Caiyi Municipal Cultivation Department is an enigma – ridiculously talented, yet somehow content with mopping up spiritual pests for barely above minimum wage. Wei Ying is slapdash and irresponsible, and Lan Zhan doesn’t like him at all… but then he meets A-Yuan, who loves music and longs for a piano his father can’t afford. Forced into cautious friendship by a four-year-old's music lessons, Lan Zhan soon realises Wei Ying is more than he seems. The single father is a man of many secrets – including, perhaps, the key to Lan Zhan's life's work. And in the meantime, the background resentment in Caiyi Town is rising to dangerous levels…

The One-Body Problem by metisket

The good news is that Lan Jingyi has found a mentor, friend, and constant companion through the difficulties in life. The bad news is that that’s because he’s been accidentally possessed by the Yiling Patriarch.

Howling by MimiSpearmint

“Sizhui, go to the kitchen,” the Yiling Patriarch orders. His charge – Sizhui, Lan Wangji presumes – hesitates but obeys, looking back over his shoulder as he disappears. Apprentice out of the blast zone, the Patriarch storms up to Lan Wangji, eyes flashing red. “Three words: I. Am. Retired.” Lan Wangji is sent by the Institute to do two things: become the Yiling Patriarch's familiar, and report back his every movement. It does not go how any of them planned.

kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool

The young man blinks at him. Wei Yuan doesn’t spend much time staring at his own face in the mirror, but he knows his reflection well enough; the dark eyes, the straight nose, the round face that comes to a pointed chin. This boy could be his exact double. “Who are you?” the Lan boy facing him asks, tilting his head. He’s got a hand on his sword, but he hasn’t drawn it yet. There’s a faint frown on his face. “Some kind of face-stealing spirit? A demon?” “Pretty rude to go around calling people demons,” Wei Yuan protests. -- Or, Wei Wuxian, presumed dead by the cultivation world, raises one Wen twin. Lan Wangji, presumed dead by Wei Wuxian, raises the other. A Parent Trap AU.

By Any Other Name by ShanaStoryteller

Wei Wuxian wakes up in Mo Xuanyu's body and heads straight for Lotus Pier. Wu Yingtai is the newest member of the Jiang Clan and rumored to be the future wife of Jiang Wanyin. Lan Wangji is not in love with her.

Everyanything by deliciousblizzardshark, lingeringdust

“I was going to do it! I had Wei Wuxian’s soul and his ritual and I was going to cast it, but I found my poor sister sobbing in the hallway, driven half-mad by our gege and I knew she needed the curse more than I did.” He grinned, slyly, underneath his thick layers of paint. “I knew she wanted to kill the same person I did. So I gave it to her; the soul, the ritual. As long as she promised to get revenge for me as well!” or Wei Wuxian is brought back from death into the body of Qin Su.

The Housewife's Guide to Causing Chaos by dvasva

“Of all the rotten luck I could have!” Outside, in between the gentle embrace of an imposing misty mountain and the caress of soft wind, stood the Cloud Recesses. It wasn’t a section that Wei Wuxian had recognized from his time in the sect, but the motifs of clouds and cranes in the buildings, the impeccable feng shui and carefully manicured paths, and the utter silence as the sect members slept peacefully, all burned themselves into Wei Wuxian’s eyes. No wonder the curtains were so firmly nailed to the walls! Any bit of demonic energy escaping the room could call down a veritable army of righteous cultivators! What sort of person in their right mind would dare to summon a spirit into their own body using resentful energy in the Cloud Recesses of all places? What kind of person would scoff so rudely at the Lan Clans most important rule, ‘Do not fraternize with evil?’ After being dead for four years, Wei Wuxian wakes up in a body he doesn't really feel comfortable with, in a place that he's sure wants him dead, and married to a man who surely hates him.

Words are Gonna Bleed from Me by GravityWinsAgain

"Yiling Laozu, GusuLan Triad requests your services." At this, Wei Wuxian laughs and a thousand ghosts laugh with him. ~Or: Wei Wuxian died and Yiling Laozu rose in his place. He has avoided the Triad societies he grew up around, maintaining his anonymity and forging a new cultivation path. Now, thirteen years later, Hanguang-jun walks into Demon-Subdue Hall and requests Yiling Laozu's services for GusuLan Triad. Something is stirring in the world. Something that necessitates his return to a life and to people he’s long since mourned as lost to him.

Going on charmingly by scribbet

He pulled the door open smoothly, leaving the noisemaker with their fist still raised mid-knock. He could glimpse white robes underneath a thick and practical-looking travel cloak, but surely no member of his sect would think to barge in upon him in such a way. “Hello!” the interloper exclaimed, a bright smile coming into view as he lifted the sopping veils away to one side. “Would you happen to know how to reach the Cloud Recesses?” Or, a teenage Wei Wuxian arrives at the Lan sect as a (mostly) respected disciple of the Immortal Baoshan Sanren instead of the well-known troublemaker of Yunmeng Jiang. Lan Wangji learns to come to terms with this (eventually).

the problem with authority by isabilightwood

When Qin Su learns the truth about Jin Guangyao after the death of her son, she sacrifice summons Jiang Yanli. It goes slightly sideways. Jiang Yanli isn’t exactly one for revenge. But she does want her brother back, and the cultivation world could do with a bit of fixing. A resurrected Wei Wuxian is all too happy to help. But taking down Jin Guangyao would be easier if Lan Wangji stopped accidentally getting in the way.

Everything That Could Have Been by QueenXIV

Thirteen years of nothing were a long time, but for Wei Wuxian it had been literally nothing. One day he was filled with resentful energy, completely under the influence of the Yin Tiger Seal, and the next one he was waking up in a stranger’s body, confused, weak and being asked for revenge. Wei Wuxian then finds himself back in Cloud Recesses after encountering Lan Xichen and ends up becoming a caregiver for Lan Wangji, who is paying the price of everything Wei Wuxian did in his past life.

梅花/plum blossoms by bunnxianluvsu (MooseFeels), MooseFeels

Lan Wangji has been chief cultivator for many years when he is given a gift.

Fentao-laoshi's Guide to Cut-Sleeve Pleasures by occultings (microcomets)

Lan Wangji says, “I am also looking to . . . gain practical experience. It seemed mutually advantageous.” “Mutually advantageous,” Wei Wuxian echoes. “Wait. Do you mean I’d get to . . . ?” Lan Wangji stares at him. “Practice — on you?” Wei Wuxian finishes, his eyes round with disbelief. — During a shared summer studying in the Cloud Recesses, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian diligently pursue an informed sexual education. What could possibly be the harm in some mutual learning?

In Imitation of Life by travelingneuritis

Lan Zhan stops in front of one of the bespoke duplicates— a male figure, small, creamy-skinned and lithe. The name on the plinth reads Mo Xuanyu. Lan Zhan tested it on his first pass through the room. The doll was empty. No signals bouncing around its artificial brain, no operating programs queued to autostart. Not even a blinking dormancy light. "Hey big guy," says Mo Xuanyu, chrome eyes sparkling with fun. "Who do I gotta fuck around here to get unplugged?" Wei Ying is a rogue AI come to life. Lan Zhan is… handling it.

The Blacksmith of Yiling by Aki_no_hikari

Wei Ying escapes his first winter in the streets by following the light and warmth of a forge. There he finds refuge, for himself, and others as well.

i’ll take a secondhand monster by Stratisphyre

“You must not stray to the lower levels, A-Yu,” Yao-ge told him with his scary, empty smile. “Or else I shall tell the beast down there to eat you.” There is a monster in Koi Tower.

The True Story of How Concubine Mo Seduced the Crown Prince by Enigmatree

(Spoiler: not a speck of seduction was involved. The Crown Prince to the Empire came fully seduced long before Concubine Mo was even called Mo Xuanyu, not that anybody else needs to know that.)

Give You What You Like by Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle)

Wen Chao's dungeons are warm and comfy. Especially when there's two of you. (Or: what if Wen Chao had been a slightly more competent - or perhaps slightly luckier - villain?)

Teach Me The Ways by likeafox

Rogue Cultivator Wei Wuxian is the stuff of local legends. Some of those legends are even true! The ones about his tremendous experience in bed, on the other hand, are not so true. Which becomes a problem when Lan Wangji, on the verge of an arranged marriage and worried he won’t know how to please his future spouse, enlists Wei Ying's help to teach him the art of love-making. Wei Ying's great at improvisation, though, and is pretty sure he's got this sex mentor thing under control. What could possibly go wrong?

Crossed Wires by stardust_and_sunlight

“My laptop is cursed,” Lan Wangji said, stepping forward to place his bag on the counter and pull his laptop out. “My brother said you deal with that.” “Wei Ying!” the man called. “A curse for you!” [Lan Wangji's laptop is cursed, and he meets Wei Wuxian, expert in cursed technology.]

River-to-the-Sea Sure by Deastar

Wen guards escort Lan Wangji to his quarters at the end of the day’s indoctrination; this evening, Wei Wuxian follows, branching off at the last moment from the path to the building in which the Jiang disciples are lodged. “We’re all prisoners here either way,” he argues to the guards, with a disarming smile. “What does it matter which building I’m imprisoned in, eh?” After the guards slam the doors in Wei Wuxian’s face, the two of them are alone. Wei Wuxian folds down to sit, pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. “Lan Zhan,” he says lightly. “What do you think Wen Chao and his henchmen would do, if I went into heat here?”

#mdzs #wangxian #fanfic recs #ask #anon

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gleeandshame · 7 months

Text

Gbbo botanical week 2023

Liveblogging for myself and one friend

Botanical weeks seem to replay the random nationalities, probably smart but something not common huh!

Abbi woulda thrived, huh?

Usually it’s like an old man who has a garden in past seasons who do it for fun

Gotta be real, I’m not sure how cardamom tastes

I forget spices are like… natural lol

Mulled wine to egg is so grey, looool

Quite a dangerous thing to do. “Thank you”

Go Tasha, lol, I wish her the best tho

We fight Paul here

Dana, girl, not spicing a bun but just the filling? Good luck

Was Josh also a garden boy earlier… eh we’ll see

I’ve not really baked a bread besides banana so I never had to prove anything. Seems a rough bit with their time always

That did look nice Dana, the twist

Oh I forget they might use Celsius? Or do they use F for baking. Wow I know nothing

Alison “lean on these buns” I’m…

Yes Tasha prove Paul wrong (was prove a pun)

Welp, called it with Dana

Saku works in accounting, her maths!

Like Josh’s lemon and blueberry representative frosting swirl

Good job Cristy

Alison did tell matty to prove longer lol

1 hour 30 doesn’t seem enough. They like the pressure dramas now I feel

Matty and Alison as lemon and time

That’s a big cake for each person, hope the crew gets to enjoy

Noel is actually singing “Entrance of the Gladiators” what a song for clowns huh

I don’t know crystallizing

Matty being completely confused and Tasha just watching when not supposed to

Noel and Saku messing around

Enrichment in his enclosure

Judged the technical well into the night? I don’t notice sundown often

Matty you referenced HP, unfortunately we must throw you in a pit now

Dan made something hmmm

Alison…. Hahahahhahahaaaaa

Saku is making something ambitious

Tasha just signing to be more comfortable, let’s gooooo

Is hibiscus like really popular over there???

I mean we have them where I live, like in people’s yards, but I only had a hibiscus drink like once

That box should be nice

It looks like resin

Shark attacks! Lol, Dana is fun

Yeah that’s like a sunflower texture… I didn’t notice cristy buttering the mold, oh it’s the chocolate

Dan no…..

Tasha what

Why is there tragic disasters and there’s no commentary. What a time suck!!!

Oh Tasha’s back up, plot twist!!! Good for her

Tasha is so tall… (me being normal about it)

Thank you for the help Josh!

Cristy nooo, I mean idk if there’s anything practical to do

Saku saying bless her

Cristy no… no offense to her, but she gives off the vibes of someone would would start crying so like… :(

They can eat it… this is sad. Someone mentioned if old hosts were around they would cuss up a storm to make this footage unusable

Cristy, I think you should be safe you did well earlier….

Group hug and lots of encouragement from others though

Starting out they’re judging Tasha a little too kindly on look, I think… the inside does look nice tho and do trust it’s yummy tho

That’s a nice flower and the layers are clean, Saku

Very nice flower, Josh

Josh is quite good. He just doesn’t have much personality comparatively to others

Dana’s decoration is very cool, shame about the rest

Good on ya Josh

Ah, knew she was gone, but RIP. She’s kept a great attitude. Goodbye :(

Yay calling mums

Saku asking about time off to someone named Charlotte, looool

#gbbo #gbbo spoilers

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ariendiel · 2 years

Note

You accepted my invocation and now I live on rent here, I set up a tent there in the corner of the question box. I have coffee with cookies

Noah, MC and Hope — My MC is black and doesn't have braided or dreadlocked hair so I would love a scene of Hope braiding or dreadlocking the MC's hair while Noah talks to them about books or whistles the song Africa, from that episode where they're painting their nails.

Lottie, Gary and MC — Lottie I feel like she would be a lot more jealous or insecure in a polyamory but with the MC he or she would make Lottie feel safe and more confident about it, and for sure, readings of tea leaves and coffee grounds, or even a moonlight session between MC, Lottie and a Gary who fell asleep in the middle of the session. With Hope, MC would braid his hair, with Lottie he would dye it purple or blue to match her.

Lucas, Henrik and MC — MC would definitely be totally stressed out with so much going on, what would be better? A physical therapy session with Lucas helping MC to de-stress, almost certainly this could work, with a Henrik taking care of MC's hair because let's face it, he does a huge hair treatment session with several different products.

Marisol, MC and Bobby — It would be lovely to have an MC and Bobby making coffee for Marisol, or Bobby casually cooking for his boyfriend and girlfriend. They're swapping clothes because we're going to have MC, Bobby and Marisol breaking gender norms with dresses and outfits. And cook battles with Marisol as the judge, Cupcakes VS Hot Cheetos cheese sticks. Bisexual polyamory with them talking about their experiences during their youth.

Bobby, Chelsea and MC — Constant boop sessions and champagne with cupcakes and Chelsea's drink I can't remember the name. I feel like they would be the kind of couple who sleep together in the afternoon when they have nothing to do, so yes, they sleep together on a pillow fort in the living room.

Shannon, Ibrahim and MC — I don't like Jo and feel like she doesn't suit Ibrahim, or is it because I love Shannon so much. Shannon teaching them how to gamble and how to play poker, and obviously a strip poker session with everyone with Shannon being the one with all the clothes. Ibrahim teaching golf and the rules and perhaps a confused Shannon on how having fewer shots earns more points. My MC is a high school math/philosophy teacher so he doesn't have much to teach to them.

I think I got carried away here.

You're very welcome here with your tent of course, and we also provide hot beverages for free as well as freshly baked pastries on weekends 🥰

Of course, I LOVE IT when people get carried away in my inbox. I'm so busy I don't have time to write much myself (as I'm sure some of my followers can tell), so I live for these inbox messages.

Now, onto your couples. I really struggle to see Noah and Hope remaining together in any situation, even if a MC is involved. Noah is one of the jealous LIs after all, and I don't see this lasting regardless of MC being male, female, or anything else. Maybe we can replace Noah with Carl here? Carl is so busy with work, that Hope might like to have an MC to also shower her with love.

Lucas, Henrik and MC. Again, I think Lucas *might* be a bit too jealous, but I can see this maybe working because Lucas and Henrik is such a solid couple. Especially if Lucas is the "centre" of the trio and feels extremely loved by both, then maybe... Henrik would be so okay with poly. Love our inclusive Swede ✨ If we want to be absolutely chaotic, we could also replace Lucas with Rocco here!

Ooof I really can't see Lottie being willing to share with anyone, especially not Gary with MC. I can maybe see her being okay with it if it was Hannah, but only for a while and then it'd break down. I think Gary is a bit too traditional as well. Lottie would maybe like having two boyfriends/girlfriends, but I don't think she'd like them being together again...

Marisol, MC and Bobby. Marisol as well is someone I think would struggle in this situation, and I can't see her with Bobby at all. Maybe Noah could work with this trio, as it is potentially a bit more "chill" and Bobby's got such a crush on Noah lol. I can also maybe see Chelsea feeling comfortable in a poly couple with MC and Bobby, especially as I headcanon her as asexual and this might help her feeling less pressured about s*x?

Shannon, Ibrahim and MC. Replace Ibrahim with Arjun maybe and we've got a winner! While Rahim is a bit too insecure (maybe he'll be more open in a few years), I think Arjun would be super chill and open because omg it's Arjun and we love him.

May I also suggest these for you?

Elisa, Elijah and MC

Jake, Rohan and MC

#ask #litg everyone #litg s2 #love island the game #litg

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sleepyowlwrites · 2 years

Text

~getting to know you, getting to know all about you~

I think that's from The King and I? pretty sure. anyway. I was tagged, snagged, snipped, dipped, and dragged by @author-a-holmes @kaiusvnoir @crypticcodexcreations @blind-the-winds @talesofsorrowandofruin to do this tag in two variants, but I'm going to cheat.

Relationship status: contendedly single. I already get a lot of the hugs and affection from people I'm not dating, so I'm good.

Favorite Color(s): indigo - not crayola indigo! blue-violet, deep and mysterious, a comfort and a close friend. like the plant but more purple. and purple in general, but not orchid my beloathed, and not soggy green purple. grey-purple and brown-purple are fine. mauve, even. I'm wearing a lilac adidas hoodie at this very moment that is just about too pink but I'm trying not to judge because I like the details. and to expand my wearable color palette.

Favorite Food: salmon. baked, grilled, pan-seared, poached, smoked, or raw. I love it.

Song Stuck in My Head: it's never just one, so the medley at the moment is You Learn by Takida, Snooze by Lucy and Shake It Out by Florence + the Machine.

Last thing you googled: adam young's other bands besides owl city. they're swimming with dolphins and windsor airlift.

Time: 9:17pm.

Dream Trip: no idea anymore, because I've already been to Greece. I used to think it was New Zealand but lately I think I want to go to Asia (not just a sneak one day visit to Turkey).

Last Thing You Read: summon story draft 0, for no particular reason. before that was a bunch of starsky and hutch fanfic.

Last Book You Enjoyed Reading: I haven't read anything since the trip, so it's still Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore. I'm ever so tempted to rebuy the first three in the series in the new covers because they're so pretty! wait why didn't I ask for those for my birthday I'm so stupid

Favorite Thing to Cook/Bake: salmon, box pancakes, or a made up chicken recipe which have so far always turned out good.

Favorite Craft to do in Your Freetime: craft? I like doing the digital edits, if that counts, and watercolor. I also like mixing paint and ink with mod podge and letting it try on a smooth surface. I then peel it off and glue it onto a different surface, usually a canvas, to make art.

Most Niche Dislike: when people confuse lilac and lavender (the colors). when they mislabel colors in general. the strings in hoodies. I always remove them. chapstick. when I'm trying to complete a single task at work and have to first complete seven other tasks before I can get to it. putting my laundry away. I'll fold it. I just hate putting it on shelves. watching a show all the way through (before rewatching). watching movies in theaters. lights from electronics or the hallway when I'm trying to sleep even if I can't see them with my eyes closed.

Opinion on Circuses: none.

Do You Have Any Sense of Direction: not really, but I can hold virtual maps in my head really well, so once I've got one of the place where I'm at, direction sense comes free with the map. I still vaguely remember the layouts of paris and london but I don't know where things are in relation to each other in my hometown. I had to memorize the turns to my grandma's house because just knowing the location is no good.

@caspia-writes @ryns-ramblings @stupid-elf @ambiguouspuzuma @justwriteyoudummy @midnight-and-his-melodiverse @writeblrfantasy or anybody

#tag game #sleepy stuff

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ifnotscience-thenwhat · 2 years

Text

(ink!: takes place before recent mavray events lol)

*beep*

Hello, Maverick.

Good morning, Central Core. Hehe.

Stop. You’re acting like the A.M.A, and I certainly don’t need another one of those.

Im sorry, I thought you enjoyed its work ethic and undying need to please you. The Queen needs her most loyal subject.

…What did you need, Maverick?

Im sure you saw the alert on the small overheating issue I experienced a few days ago. I’m still unsure of what caused it, and was looking for your expert opinion on what you think could have caused it.

This was when you were talking to that disfigured freaksh-

Gray. Yes, this happened when I was talking to, Gray.

Noted. Don’t cut me off again. Anyway, do you mind telling me what you were doing, and where you were doing it? I’ll need to see if there were any environmental factors that played into the overheating. Which I’m already certain there weren’t, you’ve never had a problem like this before, but I’ll still check.

We spend our time in one of the old halls to the employee offices that I still have camera access to, it’s quiet there so we can talk uninterrupted. I’m also certain that there was nothing in the immediate area that could’ve caused something like this, as you know I’ve been there since…well forever really, so there shouldn’t be anything-

Hm.

What? What is it? Was there something I missed, perhaps a clogged air vent that prevented the hall from being ventilated? Didn’t you just hire someone to make sure that didn’t happen, do I need to terminate-

No…No nothing like that…

Oh. Then what is it?

Why was he so close to you? I’m checking your feed and he’s basically glued to your side, what was happening here?

Oh! Well…Is that important? I don’t-

If it wasn’t important I wouldn’t have asked. Now, explain. Please.

Right. Yes, of course, my apologies. He was…cuddling me, ahem ma’am.

Cuddling.

Yes.

*long sigh*

Is- Is there something wrong with that?

How often do you two…cuddle? Ugh

Every time we see each other. The first time it happened he actually fell asleep on me, he said he was comforted by my warmth…I quiet enjoyed being his heat source even though i’d never been on before. Doesn’t make sense that I’d like it, it’s wasn’t something I experienced before and there never was a reason for me to experience it, let alone enjoy it. I mean, heh, I’m a disembodied voice and some security cameras what would I need to enjoy cuddling for?

…

…Is there something wrong with me? You didn’t answer my question before about if what Gray and I are doing is wrong. Is it? I-I wouldn’t want it to be a problem, but obviously it’s causing me to have overheating issues so…it- it must be wrong, right?

…

Will you please say something.

No. No, there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing, at least not fundamentally. I personally think it’s wrong because, well I’d rather you do that with anyone else. I could give you other options if you’d like, I’m fond of this one Personality Sphere, surprising I know, but I think you two would get along nicely his name is-

What do you mean? What-Why don’t you like Gray and I cuddling? Why can’t I do that with him?

…Well, I mean if that’s what you really want, I won’t judge you. I shouldn’t say that, I absolutely will judge you, but i’ll also support you. Even if I think you could definitely do better.

I don’t understand what you’re talking about. What are you implying?

Are you serious? Do you actually not- Huh. I guess you haven’t figured it out yet. When you do, I’ll bake you a cake that says “It’s about time” on it. *chuckling*

GLaDOS, I’ve never been this confused by our conversations. I think there really is something wrong with me.

Look, Maverick, this is something you’re going to have to figure out on your own, like I did. Though, I think this Gray will help you figure it out one way or another. Also, You shouldn’t worry too much about the overheating.

…What did you figure out?

Goodbye, Maverick. And, good luck.

Wait!-

*beep*

[Disconnected from Main Chamber]

#The Talk ™️#mavDOS!platonic

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bradsmindbrain · 1 year

Note

Does Elsa know Jack and Ted are married? I’d love a prompt where she finds out.

Surprise

Summary: Elsa is acting odd, and when Jack find out why, he’s happy to explain.

TW: Slightly suggestive comments toward the end

Jack smiled as Elsa sat across from him, taking a sip of tea. It had been awhile since the two of them had last met, months since she, Jake, and Ted had come to his rescue. As it stood, it was nice to see her again, even if she was being oddly quiet. He heard his husband in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the three of them, judging by the smell, it was probably steak, he quite liked steak. While he wasn’t a bad cook by any means, Ted could make pretty much anything edible, no doubt because of his time in the Everglades.

But back to Elsa. She and him had talked quite a bit when she arrived, mostly updates when it came to hunting, but also a few updates in their own lives. That changed as soon as they sat down to drink; however, at that point, Elsa had gone quiet, intently looking at him, a mix of confusion and curiosity on her face. He guessed she thought he didn’t notice, as he had yet to bring up the odd look she was giving. He quietly looked over his clothes, there wasn’t anything on them, and he had just checked his face before letting her in. He was beginning to get a bit concerned honestly.

“So, Elsa,” he said, breaking the silence.

Elsa seemed to snap back to reality, finally acknowledging him beyond the odd look she was giving, “Oh, yes, Jack? What is it?”

“Is something wrong?” he inquired, looking at her softly, “You’ve been looking at me strange ever since we sat down.”

Elsa looked at him blankly before replying, “The ring, where did you get it?”

Jack instinctively looked at his left ring finger, and smiled. He had completely forgotten about it, he was with Ted so often and no one he ever talked to never really questioned it, so it had legitimately slipped his mind. He honestly didn’t realize that it might have been what Elsa was talking about. He looked at Elsa as she took a sip of tea, “Oh, this? Ted and I are married now.”

Elsa just about spat out her tea, “Married?”

He grinned, “Yeah, about a month or two ago! Well, we’re not legally married, but I don’t really care.”

Elsa took a moment to recover, “Well, that certainly caught me off-guard. But that still doesn’t answer the question, Jack. Where did you get the ring from? I must admit it looks really nice.”

He shook his head, “I don’t really know. Ted was the one who proposed, he found it somewhere in the Everglades. I’m not even sure it was meant to be a wedding ring originally, but it’s the thought that counts, you know?”

Elsa looked stunned, “Wait, Ted proposed? Get out mate.”

He chuckled a bit, “It’s true, right, Teddy Bear?”

From the kitchen, Ted gave an affirmative grumble.

He smiled, “Honestly, I was kinda caught off-guard by it too. Then again, he’s done it before, so I shouldn’t be surprised.”

When Ted was comfortable enough with Elsa, he had told him his partner’s history. She was understandably mortified at what had happened to him to turn him into what he was now, and was even more disgusted at the actions of her fellow hunters for capturing and hunting someone who was once human just like they were.

Elsa nodded, “Yeah, I suppose so.”

He gave a little laugh, “Our honeymoon was pretty nice. I managed to smuggle him over to Borneo.”

“Sounds nice,” Elsa replied. “But how did it… work?”

Jack cocked an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

Elsa gave an awkward look, “I mean, he’s nine feet tall, it must be hard for you to-”

Ted gave a grumble, signaling that dinner was ready. Thank god, that could have turned into a very awkward conversation. “He says dinner is ready.”

“Well okay then,” Elsa replied as the two of them got up and entered the kitchen, three plates with baked potatoes, green beans, and well-seasoned steak on the table.

Ted growled, proud of himself.

He gave his husband a kiss on his tendril as he sat down, “Gracias, Teddy Bear, you really outdid yourself this time.”

Elsa gave a small grin as she sat down, “It smells delicious. You caught yourself a good one, Jack. I’m happy for you.”

Jack blushed a bit as he dug into his steak, “Thanks Elsa, that really means a lot.”

#werewolf by night #wwbn #wbn #jack russell #ted sallis #man thing #elsa bloodstone #marvel #mcu #russallis #my stuff #prompts #tw: suggestive

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jessequinones · 2 years

Text

Where Are You From?

I’ve been asked that question a few times in my life. If you’re a POC (person of colour) or even white-passing you might have heard that question a few times in your life. As for me, I never knew what that question really meant or why so many people asked me this question until I was older.

In most cases, when people (mainly whites) asked where you’re from, it’s so they can figure out how to judge you and either try to avoid being racist or just be racist but this time is culturally correct. (Most of the time their cultural racism is far off from what I am.)

Let’s start with the non-racist people. Some people are just interested in where others come from. If someone approached me and asked where I’m from, I would tell them the United States of America, if they’re not racist, that line of conversation ends.

So why is it considered racist if they keep asking me?

It’s because they want to know where my blood comes from, since I don’t look white, they get confused.

Stranger—Where are you from?

Me—U.S.A

Stranger – No, I mean where are your parents from?

Me - ...U.S.A?

Rakshitha Arni Ravishankar probably said it the best when explaining why asking where someone is from is a bad thing. “It reduces someone’s identity to a social group, a city, or a culture, and that can trigger feelings of alienation.” (2020, Ascend, What’s Wrong with Asking “Where Are You From?”, https://hbr.org/2020/10/whats-wrong-with-asking-where-are-you-from)

I got asked this question a lot from my own classmates who didn't believed I grew up in the same town they did. When I told them my blood is Puerto Rican I would get lumped in with the other Hispanic kids. Racial jokes shortly followed.

The feeling of alienation was always there. I wasn’t Hispanic enough to be with the Hispanic kids, and I wasn’t American enough to be with the American kids. Yes I did had my own friend group but we were the group of rejects. I always wanted to be part of the other groups but they never let me and I never understood why. I’m Hispanic, and I’m American, why can’t I join both groups?

I told my mother I thought about changing my last name to make it sound more American but my mother insisted I didn’t because corporations hire people base off which groups they belong too. My mother wanted me to look white, but keep my last name so it’ll be easier to get a job. (It wasn’t easy).

Moving forward to when I came to Australia and I was asked where I’m from. This time I’m annoyed at these questions and lie to people, every single time they believed me. I even told one person I’m from Azela (a made up country in my book) and they believed it.

These people just want me to say “I’m not Australian” (because I’m not) so they can lump me with group A) B) or C)

“I don’t care if people ask me where I’m from!” Is something I heard more than once and that’s because, white people don’t get asked that question every time they have a conversation with someone.

I pulled an uno reverse card on someone and asked them where they were from and it went a little something like this.

Me – Where are you from?

Stranger – I cam from ___ state, my father came from ___ and my mother came from ___

Me – That’s nice, but where are you really from?

Stranger - ?

Me – I mean, where’s your blood from?

Stranger – My bloods American.

Me – What about your ancestors? Where are they from?

Stranger – England most likely, I also have a little bit of Irish in me

Me – I thought you were Irish, you looked Irish. I know another Irish, Bob, who makes the best potato bake, Do you know Bob?

Like I said before, I live in Australia and when I get asked the question where am I from and I say the United States of America what’s followed is a barrage of jokes against Americans. “Don’t shoot me!”

“I thought you’d be fatter.”

“Did you moved your sister here as well?”

“Do I need to slow down so you can understand me?”

A lot of people lump others into one of three separate categories

1) This group is good

2) This group is bad

3) I don’t know much about this group to be certain what my feelings are.

Asking where I’m from will place me in one of those three categories and I can tell if I’m in number two or three, just stop lumping people in categories. Regardless of where someone is from, they’re a person. A person who is different from someone else. If white people truly make the claim they don’t see race, then they should stop asking people of colour where they came from based on their looks.

That is why asking someone where they are from, to a complete stranger, especially if that stranger is a POC can be seen as a racist.

#Jesse Quinones #An Ordinary Writer #American #Puerto Rican #POC #People of Colour #Racism #Where are you from?

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marsgod · 2 years

Note

Heya, congrats on your milestone! 😆 I'm here to request for a twst matchup please! (I go by they/them pronouns btw.)

I am 5'4, have brown eyes, pale skin and black hair that reaches to my shoulders. As for what I find attractive in someone physically...I've discovered that I'm really into glasses. 😳

Apparently, I look unapproachable to strangers? I frown when I'm confused, giving people the impression that I'm judging them or that they did something wrong. I also have a resting bitch face? My classmate told me she thought I was gonna beat her up whenever I wasn't smiling. 

I daydream a lot, am really detached from reality and have gotten lost many times when going through a new building. I am also empathetic, and always try to help people cheer up. Mostly through talking to them alone, I'm not the cheery type. I just try to help them sort through their emotions.

I am also sensitive and prone to emotional outbursts, the getting angry and crying sort. I can be a little self-centered in that area, where my emotional well-being comes first before others' comfort.

My hobbies are reading, writing, and listening to music. My ideal date would probably be eating in a café while watching the sunset. Yeah...That sounds like a dream. ❤️

As for what I want in a SO... Someone who can tell when I'm upset, but will give me space to work through it (I don't like talking about how I feel). Someone intellectual, I suppose? I don't like the impulsive types like Ace. And I read a lot, so I'd like to be able to discuss things with them!

【Ａ　Ｔｉｍｅ　ｏｆ　Ｃｅｌｅｂｒａｔｉｏｎｓ】 - Matchup for Twisted Wonderland!

I’d match you with… Trey Clover!

You wanna eat at a Café? I’ll raise you one better, try watching the sunset with your loving boyfriend in your own café as you two domestically clean up and joke around

Also, he can’t cook very well, but baking home-made bread and other pastries happens often and C’mon, it’s Trey and they’re delicious

He is book smart, not as street smart, and likes to plan out things rather than burst into a random fit of spontaneity

As for when you’re upset? He’d rather you come to him, but might ask small questions (“how was your day”, etc.), whether you want to tell him is up to you but he’d appreciate it if you straight up told him you’re upset and want to be left alone

Emotional outbursts (mostly aggressive ones) are common with Riddle, so he isn’t too phased, but it also depends on why it happened and how you conduct yourself

He doesn’t really disassociate like you, but will make sure if you’re walking or something that you don’t run into a wall or take notes for you to copy down

Trey likes reading, although he mostly studies, but will gladly read anything you write and maybe give some tips or give suggestions on characters (actually gives good critique)

tbh he isn’t phased by you looking unapproachable, Riddle is was too, but Riddle isn’t too bad and has a reason, but Riddle acts unapproachable and you just look it so there’s a difference

He’s semi-glad you’re not too outgoing or erratic like Ace or Cater, there’s 2 too many of them running around and causing trouble so a break with you is nice!

#[⭐️]count our lucky stars![⭐️]#twisted wonderland #{..no identity found..}

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dollycas · 4 months

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A Crust to Die For (A Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mystery) by Toni LoTempio #Review / #Giveaway - Great Escapes Book Tour @RoccoBlogger

A Crust to Die For (A Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mystery) by Toni LoTempio About A Crust To Die For A Crust to Die For (A Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mystery) Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting - Georgia Severn House (January 2, 2024) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448310032 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448310036 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CB8YDJFV The Bon-Appetempting Pizza Bake-Off has the small town of Branson, Georgia buzzing. Not least its organizer, Southern Style's food critic and blogger Tiffany Austin. But right before the finals one of the celebrity judges falls ill, and to Tiffany's horror the magazine replaces him with none other than handsome TV star and restaurateur Bartholomew Driscoll. Tiffany once gave his restaurant a poor review, and she's convinced he's only accepted the job to get revenge. She fully expects Driscoll will find a way to ruin the contest . . . but she definitely doesn't expect to trip over his dead body backstage! Soon, it's clear Tiffany wasn't the only person who had less than positive feelings towards the sharp-tongued Driscoll. She's surrounded by suspects - but which of the motley crew of contestants, family members and scorned friends and colleagues had the guts to commit murder? With the help of her BFF Hilary and annoyingly handsome detective Bartell, and with cat Lily and puppy Cooper as emotional support, Tiffany investigates, only to discover that revenge is indeed a dish best served cold . . . Dollycas's Thoughts Southern Style's food critic and blogger Tiffany Austin's idea is coming to fruition with the Bon-Appetempting Pizza Bake-Off. She is very excited about the event but when one of the celebrity judges begs off due to illness she is more than upset by the magazine's replacement. TV star and restaurateur Bartholomew Driscoll has to be up to something. Tiffany gave his restaurant a well-deserved bad review and she knows he has not forgiven her. Does he have plans to ruin the Bake-Off? Nervous about Driscoll's motives Tiffany never expected to find his dead body backstage before the first round's results were read. She is not surprised the man had his share of enemies but who hated him enough to kill him? Surrounded by contestants, family members, and the crew for the event Tiffany realizes one of them is a murderer, but who could it be? She knows it wasn't her best friend Hilary's sister even though all the evidence seems to be pointed directly in her direction. Tiffany and Hilary team up to help the hunky Detective Bartell find the real killer while trying to save the Pizza Bake-Off, but it going to take more than crust, sauce, and cheese to get a slice of the killer. Tiffany may get burned before the killer is captured. ____ Tiffany has found her place at Southern Style and is thriving. Working with her BFF Hilary and for her friend Dale is just icing on the cake. All three are involved in the Bon-Appetempting Pizza Bake-Off so it is nice to see them continue to develop nicely. The confusing relationship Tiffany had started with Detective Phillip Bartell gets some clarity within the pages of this story as well. Miss LoTempio introduces an interesting group of supporting cast too. All have a purpose in the story and the interactions of the entire cast feels true to life. I enjoy the Food Blogger theme of this series and that the Bon-Appetempting Pizza Bake-Off was for home cooks who were readers of the blog. The mystery put forth in A Crust to Die For was intricate. There were a lot of people in and around the Branson High School Auditorium where the event took place and any of them could have grabbed the murder weapon and done the deed. It made sense that Tiffany would want to investigate. She was there, it was her event, plus she couldn't believe Hilary's sister Arleen would kill anyone. She also has a way of getting people to open up to her. But she did take some huge unnecessary risks and was sometimes overly zealous in her questioning. I was very surprised by one of her actions but it did make all the clues start to fall into place. I did have the killer at the top of my personal suspect list so I was thrilled when all was revealed. A Crust to Die For was a fine mystery with an exciting showdown and satisfying ending. The characters were entertaining and engaging. I hope I get to revisit them soon. It sounds like a Foodie Fest will be Tiffany's next assignment and that sounds like a whole lot of fun to me with so many options for murder and mayhem. Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent About T.C. LoTempio T. C. LoTempio is the award-winning, national bestselling author of the Nick and Nora mystery series. Her cat, Rocco, provides the inspiration for the character of Nick the cat. She also writes the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery Series, as well as the Cat Rescue series. Her latest series is the Tiffany Austin Food Blogger series from Severn House. Check out her and Rocco's blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com, and visit her website, www.tclotempio.net, for more information. Author Links Webpage Blog Facebook Twitter/X GoodReads Purchase Links Amazon - B&N Great Escapes Praise for A Crust to Die For (A Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mystery) by Toni LoTempio This is a well-written cozy mystery and I look forward to reading more in the series! The author’s strong descriptive voice brings each setting to life so that the reader can clearly envision the action and the details. ~Cinnamon & Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder A CRUST TO DIE FOR is a smart witty mystery full of friends and good food. Be sure to bring an appetite for pizza and sink your teeth into this delightful read. ~Cozy Up With Kathy TOUR PARTICIPANTS - Please visit all the stops. January 8 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE January 8 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW January 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST January 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT January 10 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT January 10 – CelticLady Reviews – SPOTLIGHT January 11 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW January 12 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT January 13 – Brooke Blogs – RECIPE January 14 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT January 15 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT January 16 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT January 17 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW January 17 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST January 18 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT January 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW January 20 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT January 21 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT a Rafflecopter giveaway Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today! Want to Book a Tour? Click Here Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read the full article

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ptergwen · 3 years

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make a wish

w/c: 4.6k

warnings: swearing, tom being a lil drama queen, and harrison is a div

summary: you always go all out for tom’s birthday, but you’ve forgotten it this year… or have you?

a/n: oh my god i can’t believe tom is 25 today like a whole 25 years of him on this planet !!!!! wow? i wrote this as kinda my gift but it’s really for y’all so i hope you enjoy hehe <3 happy international tom day :D

a grin sets on tom’s face before he even opens his eyes. he’s waited an entire year for this day to come, and here it finally is.

there are a couple of reasons why his birthday has always been a favorite. the biggest is that everyone nearest and dearest to his heart gathers to celebrate it — family, friends, and his wonderful girlfriend. tom loves nothing more than to be surrounded by his people, laughing until he can hardly breathe. he truly looks forward to those special moments.

less sentimentally, tom is also very fond of a good cake. sam usually bakes one for him. it’s convenient his little brother is good in the kitchen because it saves him from going gift shopping. tom can’t wait to see what’s on the menu this time.

he’s eager to get today started, and he has his best girl to do so with. you make all the festivities miles more fun, which tom didn’t know was possible until you lit up his life. you’re probably more excited than him for his twenty fifth year around the sun.

tom is beaming as he rolls over to pull you in closer. birthday cuddles will be his first present, he decides. much to tom’s dismay, you’re not actually there. your side of the bed is empty. that’s… odd.

it’s still fairly early, so he’s not sure where you could’ve gone. tom assumes you just had to use the bathroom. you two did drink your weight in wine last night, pregaming for today.

that, or you’re whipping up some breakfast in bed. you’d done it for him last year. the meal was such a hit that you might have ended up trying it again. tom isn’t opposed to either, as long as you’re back in his arms soon.

like you can read tom’s mind, which you probably can, you appear in your shared bedroom. he’d expected you to arrive donning fuzzy pajamas with mugs of coffee. instead, you’re wearing a pantsuit and have your laptop in hand.

that wouldn’t be tom’s outfit of choice. he’s the last person to judge on style, though.

“good, you’re up,” you chirp to tom, your heels quickly clanking across the floor. you seem to be in a rush. “i’m about to go, but i wanted to say good morning first.”

go where?

“love, what’re you on about?” tom sits up with both eyebrows furrowed. “come back to bed. i’ve kept it nice and warm for you.” he’s smirking now, you skipping around the room to collect your things.

“can’t, tommy. i’ve got work. not all of us make a living on the big screen,” you chastise him in a playful tone.

ok, tom is really confused. you’d told him you planned on taking the day off so you could spend it together.

unless you forgot, that is.

but, you would never. would you?

“no, i- i know,” tom exhales, rubbing the last bit of sleep from his eyes. “i just thought you were calling in sick today, hm?” he’s looking up at you hopefully, to which you scoff at.

you walk over to him and ruffle his disheveled curls. “do i look sick to you? i don’t feel it.” tom leaves your rhetorical question unanswered.

there’s no way you aren’t messing with him. it would make sense, considering all his pranking you’ve had to endure. one too many shaving cream facials could really scorn someone.

there’s also the possibility that you’re still a bit tipsy. just hours ago, you were in his lap and sipping from the bottle.

tom will believe anything before he believes you forgot his birthday.

“darling, do you know what today is?” tom asks expectantly, reaching for your hand. chuckling, you tangle your fingers with his. “tuesday? i’ll pick up tacos on my way home.”

your usual taco tuesday dinner is not what he’s referring to.

“yeah, but no. what’s the date?” he prompts you to fill in the blank. you gasp as a realization hits. “the first!” leaning over, you peck tom’s cheek and grab your laptop bag.

he knew you’d remember. you’ve always woken him up with birthday wishes.

tom cracks a tiny smile, squeezing your hand intertwined in his. “happy…” you pause for a second. “happy june. new month, fresh start. almost summer, too.” his smile dwindles at your words. he’d thought a birthday would follow after happy.

the unimaginable has happened. today’s real significance completely slipped your mind.

should tom tell you? it wouldn’t be the same going about the day without his love. it is embarrassing you need the reminder, however.

then again, this isn’t a regular occurrence. you’ve been preoccupied with your job lately, so you’re slightly detached from the rest of reality. your boss assigned you to some secret project that you haven’t shared the details of. you must be heading off to finish it.

trust him, tom understands the toll hard work can take better than most. he’ll let this go. it’s only fair for him to be patient and supportive, seeing as you are with him.

“right. um, it’s actually… it’s my birth-“ you cut tom off with a kiss before he can correct you.

your lips don’t stay on his for long, but it’s enough time to notice the lack of alcohol on your breath. that means you aren’t hungover or joking around. you simply don’t care about his birthday.

“sorry, i don’t wanna be late. i’ll call you, okay?” you kiss his cheek once more and pat his other. “alright. drive safe,” tom mumbles, lower lip caught between his teeth. he watches you pack up your purse, then make your way out.

“get some rest, tommy! love you!” you sing to him while dashing out of your room. “i’ll try! love you, too,” tom unenthusiastically replies.

when he hears the front door click shut, he tosses the covers aside and stomps to the kitchen to fix his own breakfast.

this birthday might not be so happy after all.

“what’s the status?” you check with harrison, who reads from the itinerary in his hands. “looks like we’re about finished! all that’s left is for harry to test the speakers.” his face holds a proud smile, you nudging his arm appreciatively. “perfect, thank you so much! you guys did such a good job,” you compliment and gaze around at the transformed venue.

the room is buzzing with balloons and streamers, illuminated by colorful disco lights. there’s a mini hole-in-one golf game as well as twister for people to play. sodas, chips, classic party foods are lined up on a long table covered by spider-man tablecloth.

you all came together to throw tom the birthday bash of his dreams. it’s simple, yet an expression of the love everyone in his life has for him. twenty five is a pretty big milestone. your baby is halfway to thirty, and not so small anymore. you knew you had to do something grander than previous years.

tom’s family and closest friends helped you organize his day, and you can’t wait to see his jaw drop when he arrives.

to keep tonight a surprise, you’ve casted yourself in the role of the clueless girlfriend. you go all out for tom’s birthday each year, so he didn’t anticipate your forgetting. you felt absolutely awful to upset him so much this morning. the poor boy was a blushing and squirming mess.

his heartbreak is only temporary, at least.

everything will be worth it later on.

“please, we couldn’t have done it without your… very detailed instructions,” harrison insists, waving around his list for emphasis. you’ve taken your responsibilities here seriously.

“i am the head of this committee. expect nothing less!” you defend. snickering, he folds the paper back up. “fair enough. sam should be over with his cake soon, by the way.” you give a stern look. “chocolate mousse, i presume?”

tom mentioned offhandedly a couple weeks ago how much he enjoys it. you’d been specific about having it at the party, or else. the boys know better than to cross you.

“with chocolate flowers on top. i tried a sample, and it was quite yummy.” harrison licks his fingers for emphasis. laughing at his antics, you pull your phone from your pocket.

“you div. well, i should probably call the birthday boy. i said i would earlier.” you’re grinning as you press on tom’s contact. “brilliant,” harrison agrees, you putting the call on speaker so he can listen.

tom answers after a couple more rings than he normally does. “hello?” he speaks into the phone. “hey, baby. what are you up to?” you wonder, although you know his exact schedule for the day.

you’d arranged to have everyone entertain him until the party. right now, he should be with nikki.

“mum’s taken me on a shopping spree, then we’re doing lunch.” tom purses his lips, debating whether or not he should tell you what the occasion is. his birthday.

“what about you, darling? how’s your project?” he inquires instead. harrison stifles a giggle, you elbowing his side. “oh, it’s… it’s good. just taking longer than i expected. listen, tom…”

tom can picture your frown over the phone, letting out a sigh of his own.

“i might not make it home in time for taco night. maybe nikki will be around for dinner, too?” you suggest, regretfully.

you’ve already bailed on tom’s birthday, and now you’re ditching your date? he’s completely crushed at this point. he has no chance of turning his shitty day around anymore, no matter who he spends it with. he only wants you.

“i’ll ask her. don’t worry about it, y/n/n.” the disappointment is clear in his voice. “good luck with everything. text me on your way home.”

he’s not very convincing. isn’t supposed to be the real actor of you two?

“alright. thank you, baby. i love you.” you put a hand over your chest, exchanging a pitying look with harrison. “i love you more. bye-bye,” tom murmurs before hanging up.

he has no idea your ‘project’ has been a surprise party this whole time.

“i can’t believe it, mum. she’s forgotten all about my birthday,” tom whines to nikki while they browse through marc jacobs. her mission is to find him something to wear for later. “i’ve dropped so many hints, and she hasn’t gotten a single one.”

he glances at the purple and red striped sweater nikki holds up. “ooh, that’s nice.”

lucky for everyone, he’s easily distracted.

nikki smiles keenly, tucking it under her arm. “you said y/n’s been given a work assignment, yes?” she questions. she’s well aware it’s a cover for tom’s party.

“mhm, and i understand how stressful that can be.” tom sorts through more clothes, angrily pushing apart the racks. “but, i don’t think that’s a good enough excuse. i’d never forget her birthday, right?”

“cheer up, sweetheart. i’m sure she’ll come around,” nikki comforts him with a hand on his back. “even if she doesn’t, it wouldn’t be on purpose. y/n cares about you so much. mistakes happen.” she removes the sweater from its hanger. “why don’t you try this on, and i’ll keep looking?”

tom prays the phrase mother knows best holds true in this situation. he nods and takes the sweater.

“thanks, mum. i hope you’re right about that.”

after nikki finishes hauling tom around the shops and for a bite to eat, she drives him back home. he’s currently splayed across the couch with tessa. she’s perched on his stomach, face nuzzled into his chest while he scrolls through his phone. it’s nice that one of his girls is here to celebrate.

you’ve gone off the grid, save for some bland texts that tom merely responds to with heart emojis. he doesn’t have the energy for anything more. he’s still in shock that you haven’t uttered a word about his birthday. this isn’t like you, not in the slightest.

tom perks up when he logs into instagram, liking all the birthday posts from his friends and fans. he watches some edits that must have taken ages to create, commenting thank you’s, making people’s days. someone deserves to enjoy theirs.

when he comes across zendaya’s birthday post, tom is finally pulled out of his mopey mood.

it’s a photo she took of him during the filming of no way home. tom had snuck off set in his newest spidey suit to get starbucks because he was in dire need of his iced mocha. his mask is off, a finger to his lips and shushing the camera, coffee clutched in his free hand. zendaya swore she wouldn’t tattle on him, but here they are.

“what do you say, tess? should we give Z a ring?” tom asks his pooch, flooded with nostalgia and craving more company. not that tessa isn’t. some human contact would be refreshing, however.

“i’ll take your silence as a yes,” tom concludes. he strokes tessa’s back and dials zendaya’s number. she picks up suspiciously fast, his eyes widening.

“birthday boy, hey! i was just gonna call you,” zendaya muses, grinning to herself. she’s under your orders to do so. “great minds think alike, don’t they? how are you holding up?” tom smiles upon hearing his friend’s voice.

“you first,” she challenges. “it’s all about you today… and every other, but still.” her teasing earns tom’s first genuine laugh in too long.

“oh? doesn’t feel that way,” tom says under his breath, hugging tessa closer. she whimpers, to which he kisses the top of her head in response. “what do you mean?” zendaya asks sympathetically.

“y/n, um…” he pinches the bridge of his nose. “god, this is humiliating. she forgot my birthday.”

his confession doesn’t shake her because you told her about your scheme. she does have to pretend to be shaken.

“for real?” zendaya gawks, fueling tom’s sadness further. “shit, man. that’s so fucked up… i’m sorry.” she’s suppressing a smile. tom continues to scratch tessa’s back to calm himself.

“i’m not sure what’s happened. she always makes a huge deal of it,” he elaborates, shaking his head. “i don’t know, maybe i’m being dramatic. she’s been busy. i just feel a bit… lonely.”

this charade of yours is seriously getting to tom. you’ve got major damage control to do.

“you might feel lonely, but you’re not alone. you have me,” zendaya offers her take. tom tuts, shifting on his cushion. “very wise of you. thanks, Z.” she snorts at him. “i’d say we should hang, if you weren’t on the other side of the world,” he lightheartedly complains.

unbeknownst to tom, zendaya happens to be in london for the week. she’s shooting a commercial for her latest ambassadorship. she’ll be at his party later on, and she’s meeting up with you now. he’ll figure that out soon enough.

zendaya clicks her tongue. “sucks, huh? this is one of those times i wish i could teleport.” tom is about to respond, then he hears a voice in the background. “daya!” you squeal, running up to her with open arms. that sounds an awful lot like…

“y/n?” tom almost gasps, jumping off the couch. tessa growls at his abruptness. “am i completely off my rocker, or is she… is that her?”

panicking, zendaya signals for you to be quiet. “uh, i- i…” she slaps her hand over her forehead. “i gotta go! happy birthday, holland!” before tom can interrogate, she’s already ended the call.

his clinginess to you probably freaked her out. it would be ridiculous to think you two are together when zendaya lives in california and you’re here in england. tom’s mind is playing tricks on him, making him hear what he wants to. he misses you an insane amount.

back to wallowing he goes.

it’s nearly two hours past the time you get off, and you still aren’t home. tom is fed up with the entire day.

he went for drinks with tuwaine and on a walk with paddy, so those were highlights. he’d have liked to do some rounds of golf with his dad, too. he said he couldn’t because he was stowed away to write his next book. that was a lie, but tom was unsuspecting.

even the good parts of his birthday weren’t that great.

tom’s faith is reignited when a facetime call from you shows up on his screen. he immediately swipes to answer, not caring how desperate he seems. he is desperate. he’d settle for seeing you at all and under any circumstances.

“tom!” you smile into the camera. you’re outside, the sun beginning to set behind you. “haven’t heard from you in hours, y/n/n. where are you?” tom props his phone up in front of him. “um, work,” you hastily retort. “if you’re up to it, i could really use a favor…”

you’re a madwoman, he swears it. you’ve gone bonkers.

but, what else has he got to lose?

“yeah,” tom grumbles out, avoiding eye contact in the call. “what is it?” you’re oblivious to his inner conflict. “my uber cancelled on me, and it’s getting pretty late. i was wondering if you could come get me instead?” you bat your lashes, trying to grab his attention. “i’d rather be with you, anyway.”

unlike you at the moment, tom is a considerate partner who would do whatever necessary to accommodate you. he can’t say no.

“sure, darling. i’m on my way.” tom stands to search for his keys. “wait!” you stop him. he’s not in the mood to, but he indulges. “hm?” “that sweater… it’s cute on you,” you compliment, grinning innocently at your somber boyfriend.

“thanks. mum picked it out for me,” tom rasps. he paired it with black skinny jeans and some old boots.

“what are you so dressed up for, anyway?” you drawl, knowing damn well his answer. my birthday. my fucking birthday, is what tom wants to say. “myself, i guess,” he shortly replies instead. you’re impressed he didn’t break yet.

“you deserve it. i’ll text you the address?”

“yup. be there soon, bye.”

tom barely has it held together as he drives to your office. he’s either on the verge of tears or a full blown tantrum, or maybe both.

the ride there isn’t too long, which he’s grateful for. he needs this day to be over with. he’ll get you, have a nice dinner, and salvage his birthday however possible. hey, there’s always next year.

upon his arrival, tom begins to wonder if you gave him the wrong address by accident. it’s some place called swingers. he can vaguely recall hearing of it, but it’s indoor mini golf. you surely don’t work at a mini golf course. he would’ve visited a lot sooner. unless, this is another secret you’ve kept.

there’s only one way to find out.

you’re not outside when he gets out of the car. he figures you must have went back inside to wait. with his sweater sleeves scrunched in his hands, tom enters the building.

it’s quiet, besides the radio playing lowly in the lobby. he approaches a woman at the front desk to ask where you might be.

“hello, is y/n y/l/n in? i’m meant to meet her here,” tom politely explains, mustering up a smile. the lady beams at him and gets up from her chair. “i’ll take you to her. right this way.”

she leads him through the place, tom following along curiously. he looks around while he walks and admires the paraphernalia littering the walls. they end up in a dark room that appears to be empty. although he hasn’t a clue what’s going on anymore, that can’t be right.

“are you sure this is where she-“ tom turns to the front desk woman, but she’s gone. weird. he’s starting to get a bit spooked.

tom’s instincts tell him to bolt, then all the lights suddenly flick on. he realizes he’s in a bar. music blasts from speakers, decorations hang from the ceiling, and people blow party horns in unison. not just any people, his people.

“surprise!” everybody shouts, tom clasping both hands over his mouth. he’s most definitely surprised.

the room bursts into laughter at his reaction, waving around their noisemakers and going up to greet him. this is just what you’d hoped for. your disappearing act paid off, even though it was excruciating for all who were involved.

you run right up to tom, his family circling around the two of you. his abundance of friends settle at the bar or by the snack table. tom removes his hands from his face to reveal the widest smile you’ve ever seen.

“oh my god, y/n/n! you… did you do all of this?” he chuckles in disbelief. you eagerly nod and cup his cheeks. “of course! you didn’t think i’d forget about international tom day, did you?” tom is so moved that he doesn’t say anything, only stares into your eyes. “best day of the year,” you declare with a toothy grin.

lifting you up by your waist, tom collides his lips with yours, not allowing another second to be wasted. you giggle as you kiss back, letting your legs hook around his middle. everyone in the room hollers at the two of you.

tom is still smiling against your lips. he rests his forehead on yours when he pulls back, just to come in and steal more kisses. you move a hand down to his broad shoulder to steady yourself while his lips attack yours, softly but so passionately.

“happy birthday, baby!” you manage to get out between tom’s never ending pecks. a breathy laugh leaves him, kissing both your cheeks. “thank you so much, angel. so, so much,” tom hums, your nose scrunching up. he kisses that, too. “i’m so fucking in love with you. you have no idea.” his eyes are glossy as you meet them.

“mm, i know. i love you the most, tom.” your lips brush his again gently, tom sniffling and holding you tight. you pout at him and dab at a stray tear with your thumb. “aw, no. don’t cry,” you coo, all the guests cheering you two on. “look at me… what’s the matter?”

you’re stroking across his jawline, tom putting you down. his arms stay around your waist.

“i just… you got me really good. thought you actually forgot about my birthday,” tom admits, leaning into your touch. “i was so fucking sad all day, but this makes up for everything.”

you draw him into a hug, his body flush against yours and face hidden in your neck. “no, never. you mean the whole world to me, tom. i’ve been planning your twenty fifth for months!” you’re flashing him a cheeky smile.

“so, your secret project?” tom cocks his head to the side, you jabbing at his chest. “you’re looking at it.” “my love,” he groans, throwing his head back. “how on earth did you do all of this?” gesturing behind you, you take a step back. “i didn’t work alone.”

harrison and zendaya waltz over together, tom losing his shit for the nth time today.

“you’re joking!” he practically tackles zendaya in a hug, who makes crazy eyes at you over tom’s shoulder. “careful with the hair! valentino needs me in the morning,” she laughs out and squeezes him back. tom eases up the tiniest bit.

“you’ve been here the whole time, then?” he lets her go so she can breathe, grinning so much his cheeks hurt.

“for a shoot, yeah. thought i’d check this place out while i’m here. i’m a real golf fanatic,” zendaya sarcastically replies and claps tom on the back. tom reaches over and links his pinky with yours, tugging you back to him. “i knew that was you on the phone! you two were in on this together.”

you curtesy, harrison clearing his throat from next to you.

“ahem! what about me, dickhead?” he puts his hands on his hips. “what about you?” tom repeats to get a rise out of him. it succeeds, harrison punching his arm just hard enough to sting. he does it with a chuckle, though.

“i’m kidding, i’m kidding. thanks, bruv.” tom rolls his eyes. the two of them hug it out, you and zendaya watching on.

he slings his arm around harrison’s shoulder. “damn, you lot had me fooled. how’d you pull it off?” you wink at zendaya, looping your own arms around tom’s waist. “we learned from the master himself.” “and, me,” she teases. “oh, get in here. all of you,” tom insists, the four of you now in a bone-crushing group hug.

it’s cut short by his parents and a bunch of others wanting to give their best to the birthday boy.

nikki marches up to tom with smudged mascara because yours and toms reunion made her emotional. dom pokes fun of at his wife, tom consoling her while getting another good laugh in. it must be a holland thing.

tom makes his rounds after that with you by his side, your arm in his as he thanks everyone for coming. you’ve spent enough time apart for one day, or forever. he catches up with his spider-man stunt team, then does a shot with harry and checks out sam’s cake.

you have to physically restrain him from devouring it on the spot, much to sam’s amusement.

at last, everybody heads off to the mini golf courses throughout the building. tom understands why his dad didn’t go for a game earlier. this might not be the real thing, but it’s admittedly more entertaining. plus, he has a better chance of beating the others out.

you, tom, zendaya, and harrison play your game together. nikki, dom, sam, and paddy are right behind you. harry and tuwaine split into other groups, the venue filled only with everyone tom loves. he’s so blown away you did this for him.

“foul! that’s a foul!” harrison calls to you while you retrieve your golf ball from the water. “what is?” you yell back. tom and zendaya stand back and observe.

“you can’t move the ball! you have to hit it where it lands!” harrison sticks his golf club in the fake grass, smirking in satisfaction. huffing, you place the ball back at its starting point on the course. “dude, that’s impossible. i’m just gonna go from here.”

he narrows his eyes at you. “you did that on purpose.” tom swats at his friend’s shoulder, you biting back a grin. “are you accusing my girl of cheating?” “a man in women’s business,” zendaya remarks and earns giggling from you. harrison mocks her words, ultimately conceding.

“fine. if y/n’s going to play dirty, so will i.”

the rest of your game goes smoothly until your mini golf skills are once again questioned, this time by tom. he informs you that you’ve been holding the club all wrong. you haven’t really. he just wants an excuse to touch you, which you’re not opposed to.

tom’s hands are over yours, his chin on your shoulder as he teaches you how to swing. he’ll throw out little comments like atta girl and there you go, sweetheart from time to time. zendaya finds this hilarious, so she snaps a video and posts it to her story. you’ll all no doubt be trending soon.

the party eventually moves back into the bar, where sam has his chocolate mousse cake ready to be eaten. two big candles that say twenty five in numbers are now stuck in and flaming. tom stands before his beloved cake, you hugging him from behind while everyone serenades him with happy birthday.

you all applaud him at the end, tom licking his lips and rubbing his hands together. “are you one?” harry starts chanting. the others follow in song, gearing up to twenty five. tom will blow out his candles when they get there.

pressing a kiss to the side of his neck, you whisper in his ear. “make a wish, tommy.” he looks at you over his shoulder, threading his fingers through yours.

“it’s already come true.”

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